Association between Yo-yo intermittent recovery test, physiological markers of endurance performance, and buffering capacity in professional soccer players.
5 affiliations
- 1Find Your Pace Lab, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
- 2Departamento de Biofísica e Fisiologia, Núcleo de Estudos em Fisiologia Aplicada ao Desempenho e è Saúde (NEFADS), Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
- 3Rede Nordeste de Biotecnologia (RENORBIO), Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
- 4Programa de Pós-graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Sociedade Brasileira de Fisiologia (SBFis), Universidade Federal do Piauí, Teresina, PI, Brasil.
- 5Laboratório de Avaliação e Condicionamento em Reumatologia (LACRE), Hospital das Clínicas, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Abstract
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIR1) is widely recognized as a reliable tool for assessing intermittent endurance and aerobic capacity in team sports athletes. This study aims to verify the association between YYIR1 and physiological markers of endurance performance in professional soccer players, as well as the relationship between metabolic buffering capacity, metabolic acidosis tolerance, and YYIR1 total distance. Twenty-six professional soccer athletes (26.3±4.98 years, 76.4±8.96 kg, 178±6.52 cm, 54.1±4.85 mL·kg-1·min-1 V̇O2max) performed the YYIR1 and underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill in order to assess their ventilatory thresholds (aerobic threshold (AT), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max)), buffering capacity, and tolerance to metabolic acidosis. Correlation analyses revealed that the YYIR1 distance was significantly associated with maximal aerobic speed (r=0.542, P=0.006) and V̇O2max (r=0.492, P=0.015), but not with AT or RCP. Position-specific differences were observed in relative acidosis tolerance capacity, with midfielders presenting higher values than defenders (P=0.018, η2=0.294), whereas no significant differences were noted for relative buffering or YYIR1 distance across positions. In conclusion, maximal aerobic speed and V̇O2max were the strongest predictors of YYIR1 performance in professional soccer players, outperforming submaximal thresholds such as AT and RCP. Moreover, positional differences in acidosis tolerance were identified, as midfielders demonstrated greater relative acidosis tolerance capacity compared to defenders.
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BibTeX
@article{ferreira2026association,
title = {{Association between Yo-yo intermittent recovery test, physiological markers of endurance performance, and buffering capacity in professional soccer players.}},
author = {R C A Ferreira and V O Silvino and L V Vilhena and M A P Dos Santos and D M L do Prado},
journal = {Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.1590/1414-431x2026e15230},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42879639},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Association between Yo-yo intermittent recovery test, physiological markers of endurance performance, and buffering capacity in professional soccer players.
AU - R C A Ferreira
AU - V O Silvino
AU - L V Vilhena
AU - M A P Dos Santos
AU - D M L do Prado
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
JO - Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologicas
DO - 10.1590/1414-431x2026e15230
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42879639
AB - The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 1 (YYIR1) is widely recognized as a reliable tool for assessing intermittent endurance and aerobic capacity in team sports athletes. This study aims to verify the association between YYIR1 and physiological markers of endurance performance in professional soccer players, as well as the relationship between metabolic buffering capacity, metabolic acidosis tolerance, and YYIR1 total distance. Twenty-six professional soccer athletes (26.3±4.98 years, 76.4±8.96 kg, 178±6.52 cm, 54.1±4.85 mL·kg-1·min-1 V̇O2max) performed the YYIR1 and underwent a cardiopulmonary exercise test (CPET) on a treadmill in order to assess their ventilatory thresholds (aerobic threshold (AT), respiratory compensation point (RCP), and maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O2max)), buffering capacity, and tolerance to metabolic acidosis. Correlation analyses revealed that the YYIR1 distance was significantly associated with maximal aerobic speed (r=0.542, P=0.006) and V̇O2max (r=0.492, P=0.015), but not with AT or RCP. Position-specific differences were observed in relative acidosis tolerance capacity, with midfielders presenting higher values than defenders (P=0.018, η2=0.294), whereas no significant differences were noted for relative buffering or YYIR1 distance across positions. In conclusion, maximal aerobic speed and V̇O2max were the strongest predictors of YYIR1 performance in professional soccer players, outperforming submaximal thresholds such as AT and RCP. Moreover, positional differences in acidosis tolerance were identified, as midfielders demonstrated greater relative acidosis tolerance capacity compared to defenders.
SN - 0100-879X
SN - 1414-431X
ER -