The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test:

Physiological Response, Reliability,

and Validity
PETER KRUSTRUP1, MAGNI MOHR1, TOMMAS AMSTRUP3, TORBEN RYSGAARD3, JOHNNY JOHANSEN3,
ADAM STEENSBERG2, PREBEN K. PEDERSEN3, and JENS BANGSBO1
1
Institute of Exercise and Sport Sciences, August Krogh Institute, Department of Human Physiology, and 2Copenhagen
Muscle Research Centre, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, DENMARK; 3Institute of Sports Science and Clinical
Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, DENMARK

ABSTRACT
KRUSTRUP, P., M. MOHR, T. AMSTRUP, T. RYSGAARD, J. JOHANSEN, A. STEENSBERG, P. K. PEDERSEN, and J.
BANGSBO. The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test: Physiological Response, Reliability, and Validity. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol.
35, No. 4, pp. 697–705, 2003. Purpose: To examine the physiological response and reproducibility of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery
test and its application to elite soccer. Methods: Heart rate was measured, and metabolites were determined in blood and muscle
biopsies obtained before, during, and after the Yo-Yo test in 17 males. Physiological measurements were also performed during a
Yo-Yo retest and an exhaustive incremental treadmill test (ITT). Additionally, 37 male elite soccer players performed two to four
seasonal tests, and the results were related to physical performance in matches. Results: The test-retest CV for the Yo-Yo test was 4.9%.
Peak heart rate was similar in ITT and Yo-Yo test (189 ⫾ 2 vs 187 ⫾ 2 bpm), whereas peak blood lactate was higher (P ⬍ 0.05) in
the Yo-Yo test. During the Yo-Yo test, muscle lactate increased eightfold (P ⬍ 0.05) and muscle creatine phosphate (CP) and glycogen
decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) by 51% and 23%, respectively. No significant differences were observed in muscle CP, lactate, pH, or glycogen
between 90 and 100% of exhaustion time. During the precompetition period, elite soccer players improved (P ⬍ 0.05) Yo-Yo test
performance and maximum oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) by 25 ⫾ 6 and 7 ⫾ 1%, respectively. High-intensity running covered by the
players during games was correlated to Yo-Yo test performance (r ⫽ 0.71, P ⬍ 0.05) but not to V̇O2max and ITT performance.
Conclusion: The test had a high reproducibility and sensitivity, allowing for detailed analysis of the physical capacity of athletes in
intermittent sports. Specifically, the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test was a valid measure of fitness performance in soccer. During the
test, the aerobic loading approached maximal values, and the anaerobic energy system was highly taxed. Additionally, the study
suggests that fatigue during intense intermittent short-term exercise was unrelated to muscle CP, lactate, pH, and glycogen. Key Words:
MUSCLE METABOLITES, INTERMITTENT EXERCISE, FATIGUE, TIME-MOTION ANALYSIS, SOCCER PERFORMANCE

A
number of laboratory and field tests have been repeatedly perform intense exercise and with that his/her
developed to evaluate physical performance in potential to recover from intensive exercise. Based on this
sports such as treadmill tests for determination of rationale, the so-called Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test was
maximum oxygen uptake and shuttle run tests performed in developed (5). It consists of repeated exercise bouts per-
the field (23,28). In most tests, the type of exercise is formed at progressively increasing speeds, interspersed with
continuous. However, in many sports such as ball games, 10-s active rest periods and performed until the subject is
the exercise is intermittent and performance is related to the exhausted. The test is frequently used in a variety of sports,
athletes’ ability to repeatedly perform intense exercise. For and test performance is closely related to the physical per-
example, it has been demonstrated that the quality of soccer formance of top-class referees during a soccer match (21).
is associated with the amount of high-intensity running However, the information about its reproducibility, sensi-
performed throughout a game (6,13,25). Therefore, in such tivity, and validity as a marker of athletic performance in
sports, it seems logical to evaluate the athletes’ ability to intermittent sports is still limited. Furthermore, the charac-
teristics of the physiological response during the test have
been restricted to measurements of heart rate throughout the
Address for correspondence: Jens Bangsbo, Institute of Exercise and Sport test.
Sciences, August Krogh Institute, Universitetsparken 13, DK-2100, Copen- It is still unclear what causes fatigue during intense re-
hagen Ø, Denmark; E-mail: jbangsbo@aki.ku.dk. peated exercise. Studies using prior diet manipulation have
Submitted for publication September 2002. shown that lowered muscle glycogen play a significant role
Accepted for publication November 2002.
in the development of fatigue during long-term intermittent
0195-9131/03/3504-0697/$3.00/0 exercise (3,4,9,30). However, to what extent muscle glyco-
MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE® gen and factors such as muscle creatine phosphate (CP),
Copyright © 2003 by the American College of Sports Medicine lactate, and pH play a role in fatigue during short-term
DOI: 10.1249/01.MSS.0000058441.94520.32 intense exercise is not clear. To further study these aspects
697
the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test can be used as an
exercise model, when measurements are performed at var-
ious phases of the test.
Thus, the aims of the present study were 1) to examine the
reproducibility and validity of the Yo-Yo intermittent re-
covery test and 2) to evaluate the physiological response
during the test and to examine potential factors causing
fatigue during repeated intense exercise.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Subjects. Two groups of subjects were involved in the
study. Seventeen male subjects, with a mean age of 28
(range: 25–36) yr, an average height of 182 (172–191) cm,
an average body mass of 78.2 (68.4 –91.2) kg, and a max-
imal oxygen uptake of 50.5 (42.1– 60.8) mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1, FIGURE 1—Schematic representation of the Yo-Yo intermittent re-
covery test including physiological measurements performed before,
were studied to provide information on test-retest reproduc- during, and after the test. The biopsy marked with (*) was taken on a
ibility and the physiological response during the Yo-Yo test. separate day after 90% of individual exhaustion time.
In addition, 37 male professional elite soccer players, with
a mean age of 26 (range: 22–32) yr, an average height of 181 ery test (Fig. 1). Before, during, and after the test heart rate
(169 –193) cm, and an average body mass of 75.4 (67.5– (N ⫽ 17) was recorded in 5-s intervals using a Polar Van-
90.1) kg, were followed to obtain information on seasonal tage NV heart rate monitor weighing ~100 g (Polar, Kem-
and positional differences in Yo-Yo test performance and its pele, Finland). Blood samples (N ⫽ 17) were collected from
correlation with physical performance during match-play. an antecubital vein catheter at rest, after the warm-up period,
They all had more than 4 yr of experience in the best at the end of each speed level (i.e., 160, 440, 760, 1080,
national leagues of their respective countries. All partici- 1400, 1720 m, etc.), at exhaustion as well as 1, 2, 4, 6, and
pants were fully informed of experimental procedures and 15 min after the test. During the test, the blood samples were
possible discomforts associated with the study before giving taken in the 10-s recovery periods between the running
their written informed consent to participate. The study was bouts. Muscle biopsies were taken at rest (N ⫽ 7) and at
approved by the Ethics Committee of Copenhagen and exhaustion (N ⫽ 13) from the medial part of m. vastus
Frederiksberg communities. lateralis by using the needle biopsy technique with suction.
The Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test. The Yo-Yo On a separate occasion, a biopsy was obtained from six
intermittent recovery test consists of repeated 2 ⫻ 20-m runs subjects immediately after a running distance corresponding
back and forth between the starting, turning, and finishing to 90% of the individual peak Yo-Yo test performance
line at a progressively increased speed controlled by audio (90%EXH). These six subjects had no resting biopsy taken
bleeps from a tape recorder (5). Between each running bout, in the main experiment, so every subject had two biopsies
the subjects have a 10-s active rest period, consisting of 2 ⫻ taken. Local anesthesia (20 mg·L⫺1 lidocaine without
5 m of jogging. When the subjects twice have failed to reach adrenalin) was given at rest, and an incision was made for
the finishing line in time, the distance covered is recorded obtainment of the resting and postexercise biopsies. This
and represents the test result. The test may be performed at incision was covered by sterile Band-Aid strips and a thigh
two different levels with differing speed profiles (level 1 and bandage during the test. The temperature of m. quadriceps
2). In the present study, we used the Yo-Yo intermittent femoris (N ⫽ 10) was measured by a needle thermistor
recovery test, level 1, which consist of 4 running bouts at (MKA08050-A, Ellab A/S, Rødovre, Denmark) at rest, after
10 –13 km·h⫺1 (0 –160 m) and another 7 runs at 13.5–14 the warm-up, after 440 and 1080 m, and at exhaustion, as
km·h⫺1 (160 – 440 m), whereafter it continues with stepwise well as 5, 10, and 15 min after the test. All measurements
0.5 km·h⫺1 speed increments after every 8 running bouts were performed in m. vastus lateralis of the right leg at a
(i.e., after 760, 1080, 1400, 1720 m, etc.) until exhaustion muscle depth of ~3 cm, adjusting for the thickness of the
(see Fig. 1). The test was performed indoor on running skin fold using a Harpenden skin fold caliper (British Indi-
lanes, marked by cones, having a width of 2 m and a length cators Ltd., West Sussex, UK). The thermistors had a pre-
of 20 m. Another cone placed 5 m behind the finishing line cision of 0.1°C and were all calibrated against a mercury
marked the running distance during the active recovery thermometer. Fluid loss (N ⫽ 10) during the test was de-
period. Before the test, all subjects carried out a warm-up termined by weighing the subjects in dry shorts immediately
period consisting of the first four running bouts in the test. before and after the test using a platform scale (model 1–10,
The total duration of the test was 6 –20 min. All subjects OHAUS, Pine Brook, NJ). The subjects were allowed to
were familiarized to the test by at least one pretest. drink water during the test and the water intake was
Physiological response during the Yo-Yo test. A recorded.
number of physiological measurements were performed Reproducibility of the Yo-Yo test. Thirteen of the
while the subjects performed the Yo-Yo intermittent recov- subjects carried out an additional Yo-Yo test within 1 wk of
698 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine http://www.acsm-msse.org
the first test. The total distance covered was recorded. Heart lyzed at 100°C for 3 h and the glycogen content was deter-
rate was measured, and blood samples were collected as mined by the hexokinase method (24). The remaining por-
during the main experiment, whereas no biopsies were taken tion of the sample for histochemical analysis was mounted
during the retest. Test-retest variation in quadriceps muscle in an embedded medium (OCT Compound Tissue-Tek,
temperature and fluid loss was determined in a total of seven Sakura Finetek, Zoeterwoude, The Netherlands), whereafter
subjects. it was frozen in isopentane which was cooled to the freezing
Laboratory treadmill test. Within one week of the point in liquid nitrogen. These samples were stored at
Yo-Yo tests all subjects carried out a laboratory treadmill ⫺80°C until analyzed for fiber type distribution and fiber
running protocol. The subjects ran at speeds of 10, 12, 14, type specific glycogen content. Five serial 10-␮m thick
and 16 km·h⫺1 in 6-min bouts separated by 2-min rest sections were cut at ⫺20°C and incubated for myofibrillar
periods, followed by an incremental maximal test performed adenosine triphosphate (ATPase) reactions at pH 9.4, after
after 15 min of rest. The maximal test started at a running preincubation at pH 4.3, 4.6, and 10.3 (11). Based on the
speed of 14 km·h⫺1 for 2 min and continued at 16 km·h⫺1 myofibrillar ATP staining, individual fibers were classified
for 30 s with stepwise 1 km·h⫺1 speed increments every 30 s under light microscopy as ST, FTa, or FTb. To evaluate the
until exhaustion. Time to exhaustion was recorded as the relative glycogen content of individual fibers one 16-␮m-
test result. Heart rate was recorded in 5-s intervals during thick transverse section was cut at ⫺20°C and stained for
the entire protocol by a Polar Vantage NV heart rate mon- glycogen by the periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) reaction (27).
itor. Pulmonary oxygen uptake was measured during the last Under light microscopy, the staining intensity of the fibers
3 min of each submaximal running speed and during the was rated as full, partly full, almost empty, and empty and
maximal test by a breath-by-breath gas analyzing system ranked from 3 to 0.
(MedGraphics CPX/D, Saint Paul, MN), which was cali- Testing of elite soccer players. A total of 37 male
brated before each protocol by a 3-L syringe as well as two elite soccer players (9 central defenders, 7 fullbacks, 13
gases of known O2 and CO2 concentrations. Individual peak midfielders, and 8 attackers) carried out the Yo-Yo inter-
heart rate (HRpeak) and maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) mittent recovery test on two to four separate occasions.
were determined as the peak values reached in a 5- and 15-s These tests were performed on artificial grass. Ten of these
period, respectively, at the end of the incremental maximal players performed the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test and
test. Blood samples were drawn from an antecubital vein an incremental treadmill test (as described above) before the
before and after each exercise bout as well as 2, 4, 6, and 15 preparation phase of a season, in the middle of the prepa-
min after the incremental test for analysis of blood lactate ration phase as well as in the start of and at the end of the
and glucose as well as plasma potassium. season. The incremental treadmill test was used for deter-
Blood analysis. All blood samples were collected in mination of maximal oxygen uptake and performance dur-
2-mL syringes and immediately placed in ice-cold water ing continuous incremental exercise. Within 2 wk of one of
until analyzed. Within 10 s of sampling 100 ␮L of blood the tests performed during the competitive season, 12 play-
was hemolyzed in an ice-cold 100-␮L Triton X-100 buffer ers were videotaped during a total of 18 soccer matches in
solution, and was later analyzed for lactate using an YSI the national premier league to determine their locomotive
2300 lactate analyser (Yellow Spring Instruments, Yellow activities. Each player was filmed close up by VHS movie
Springs, OH; 14). The rest of the blood sample was rapidly cameras (NV-M50, Panasonic, Osaka, Japan) positioned at
centrifuged for 30 s. Then, the plasma was collected and the side of the field, at the level of the midway line, at a
stored at ⫺20°C until analyzed for insulin by using a flu- height of about 15 m, and at a distance of about 30 m from
orometric assay (24), for ammonia (NH3) by using spectro- the touch line. The videotapes were later replayed on a
photometrical determination (22), as well as potassium by monitor for computerized recording of the movement pat-
using a flame photometer (Radiometer FLM3, Copenhagen, tern as described by Bangsbo et al. (6). The following
Denmark) with lithium as the internal standard. locomotive categories were used: standing (0 km·h⫺1),
Muscle analysis. One part of the sample was immedi- walking (6 km·h⫺1), jogging (8 km·h⫺1), low-speed running
ately frozen in liquid N2 and stored at ⫺80°C for biochem- (12 km·h⫺1), moderate-speed running (15 km·h⫺1), high-
ical analysis. The frozen muscle samples were weighed speed running (18 km·h⫺1), sprinting (30 km·h⫺1), and
before and after freeze drying to determine water content. backward running (10 km·h⫺1). The locomotive categories
The freeze-dried sample was dissected free of blood, fat, and were chosen in accordance with Bangsbo et al. (6). The
connective tissue. A part of the muscle tissue (~2 mg d.w.) match activities were afterward divided into four locomo-
was extracted in a solution of 0.6 M perchloric acid (PCA) tive categories: 1) standing; 2) walking; 3) low-intensity
and 1 mM EDTA, neutralized to pH 7.0 with 2.2 M KHCO3 running, defined as jogging, low-speed running, and back-
and stored at ⫺80°C until analyzed for CP and lactate by ward running; and 4) high-intensity running, defined as
fluorometric assays (24). Muscle pH was measured by a moderate-speed running, high-speed running, and sprinting.
small glass electrode (Radiometer GK2801) after homoge- The distance covered by each locomotive activity was de-
nizing a freeze-dried muscle sample of about 2 mg d.w. in termined as the product of total time and mean velocity for
a nonbuffering solution containing 145 mM KCl, 10 mM the activity. The total distance covered during a match was
NaCl, and 5 mM iodoacetic acid. In addition, 1–2 mg dry then calculated as the sum of the distances covered during
weight muscle tissue was extracted in 1 M HCl and hydro- each type of activity. Variations in results obtained by time
YO-YO TEST RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 699
 mance (r ⫽ ⫺0.46 and ⫺0.65, respectively, P ⬍ 0.05),
whereas this was not the case for running velocities of 10
and 12 km·h⫺1.
Heart rates. Heart rate was 83 ⫾ 2 (69 –98) bpm im-
mediately before the Yo-Yo test and increased (P ⬍ 0.05) to
158 ⫾ 3 (145–168), 172 ⫾ 3 (154 –188), and 181 ⫾ 3
(162–194) bpm after 440, 1080, and 1720 m, respectively.
This corresponds to 83 ⫾ 1 (77– 89), 92 ⫾ 1 (86 –98), and
96 ⫾ 1 (92–100)%, respectively, of peak heart rate (Fig.
4A). The peak heart rate reached during the Yo-Yo test was
187 ⫾ 2 bpm, corresponding to 99 ⫾ 1 (97–102)% of the
peak heart rate reached during the treadmill test. During the
recovery period, heart rate decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 148 ⫾
3 (127–164) and 121 ⫾ 4 (73–139) bpm after 1 and 2 min,
respectively, and decreased further (P ⬍ 0.05) to 98 ⫾ 5
FIGURE 2—Test-retest reproducibility of the Yo-Yo intermittent re- (81–109) bpm after 15 min. A significant inverse relation-
covery test. The correlation coefficient was 0.98 (N ⴝ 13, P < 0.05).
Full line is the identity line (x ⴝ y). ship was observed between the individual performance of the
Yo-Yo test and percentage of maximal heart rate (%HRmax)
reached after 6 and 9 min of the test (r ⫽ ⫺0.81 and r ⫽ ⫺0.75,
motion analysis have previously been shown to be in the respectively, P ⬍ 0.05) but not after 3 min (r ⫽ ⫺0.34, NS).
range of 1–5% in each of the individual activity categories No systematic intra-individual differences were observed
(6,21). The 18 matches included in the present study were between test and retest heart rates, with mean values of 4 ⫾
all analyzed by the same experienced observer. 2, ⫺1 ⫾ 2, 1 ⫾ 2, 1 ⫾ 1, and 0 ⫾ 1 bpm before the test, after
Statistics. Differences in muscle metabolites and pH
between different levels of time were evaluated by Student’s
paired t-test. Differences in fiber type specific glycogen
content between rest and exhaustion were evaluated by a
Wilcoxon signed rank test. Differences in oxygen uptakes,
heart rates, and blood parameters during the tests as well as
Yo-Yo test results during the season were evaluated by the
one-way ANOVA on repeated measurement. When a sig-
nificant interaction was detected, data were subsequently
analyzed using a Newman-Keuls post hoc test. Correlation
coefficients were determined and tested for significance
using the Pearson’s regression test. The coefficient of vari-
ance (CV) was used as a measure of reproducibility and
calculated as SD of repeated measures divided by the mean
and multiplied by 100 (1). A significance level of 0.05 was
chosen. Data are presented as means ⫾ SEM.

RESULTS
Performance. The distance covered in the Yo-Yo in-
termittent recovery test averaged 1793 ⫾ 100 (range: 600 –
2320) m, which corresponds to a test duration of 14.7 ⫾ 0.8
(5.1–18.6) min. No difference was found between perfor-
mance in the first and second Yo-Yo test performed within
1 wk (1867 ⫾ 72 vs 1880 ⫾ 89 m; N ⫽ 13). The intra-
individual difference between these tests averaged 13 ⫾ 24
(⫺160 to 120) m, with a CV value of 4.9% (Fig. 2). A
significant correlation was observed between Yo-Yo test
performance and time to fatigue in the incremental running
test (r ⫽ 0.79, P ⬍ 0.05, Fig. 3A) as well as maximal
oxygen uptake (r ⫽ 0.71, P ⬍ 0.05, Fig. 3B). Also maximal
oxygen uptake and time to fatigue in the incremental test FIGURE 3—Interindividual relationship between the Yo-Yo intermit-
were mutually correlated (r ⫽ 0.86, P ⬍ 0.05). The lactate tent recovery test and (A) time to fatigue in the incremental test (r ⴝ
0.79, N ⴝ 15, P < 0.05) and (B) maximal oxygen uptake (r ⴝ 0.71, N
concentrations immediately after treadmill running at 14 ⴝ 15, P < 0.05). The graphs show individual data points, the regression
and 16 km·h⫺1 was inversely correlated to Yo-Yo perfor- lines, and 95% confidence limits for the regression lines.

700 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine http://www.acsm-msse.org

 92 ⫾ 1 (88 –99) %, respectively, of V̇O2max. The estimated
peak V̇O2 during the Yo-Yo test was 3.70 ⫾ 0.09 (3.13–
4.44) L·min⫺1 or 97 ⫾ 1 (93–100) % of V̇O2max.
Muscle metabolites. Muscle metabolite concentra-
tions, water content, and pH before and during the Yo-Yo
test are presented in Table 1. Muscle CP was 82 ⫾ 6
mmol·kg⫺1 d.w. at rest and 51% lower (P ⬍ 0.05) at
exhaustion (40 ⫾ 5 mmol·kg⫺1 d.w.). No difference was
observed in CP values at 90%EXH and exhaustion. Muscle
lactate was 51.2 ⫾ 7.6 mmol·kg⫺1 d.w. at exhaustion and
eightfold higher (P ⬍ 0.05) than at rest (6.8 ⫾ 1.1
mmol·kg⫺1 d.w.). Muscle lactate at 90%EXH was not dif-
ferent from the value at exhaustion. Muscle pH was 7.16 ⫾
0.03 at rest and significantly lower (P ⬍ 0.05) at exhaustion
(6.98 ⫾ 0.04), which was not different from 90%EXH.
Muscle water content was 76.8 ⫾ 0.2% at rest, which was
lower (P ⬍ 0.05) than at exhaustion 77.9 ⫾ 0.6%. No
difference was observed in muscle water content at
90%EXH and exhaustion. Muscle glycogen was 417 ⫾ 10
mmol·kg⫺1 d.w. at rest and had decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) by
23% at exhaustion. Muscle glycogen at exhaustion was not
different from at 90%EXH. The relative glycogen content of
individual muscle fibers before and after the Yo-Yo test was
evaluated by histochemical analyses (N ⫽ 7; Table 2). After
the Yo-Yo test, 66 ⫾ 9% of all fibers were rated as full with
glycogen and 15 ⫾ 7% as almost empty or empty of gly-
cogen, which was different (P ⬍ 0.05) from before the test
(75 ⫾ 10% and 7 ⫾ 5%, respectively). Fewer Type IIa
fibers were rated as full with glycogen after than before the
Yo-Yo test (67 ⫾ 13 vs 91 ⫾ 5%, P ⬍ 0.05), and more Type
IIb fibers were rated as almost empty of glycogen (19 ⫾ 5
vs 1 ⫾ 1%, P ⬍ 0.05), whereas no significant differences
was observed in relative glycogen content in Type I fibers
after compared with before the Yo-Yo test.
Blood variables. Blood lactate concentration was 1.0
⫾ 0.1 (0.4 –1.8) mmol·L⫺1 at rest and reached 10.1 ⫾ 0.6
(6.4 –14.0) mmol·L⫺1 at the end of the Yo-Yo test (Fig. 4B).
During the first 6 min of recovery, blood lactate was unal-
tered but had decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 6.6 ⫾ 0.5 (2.5–10.4)
mmol·L⫺1 after 15 min of recovery (Fig. 4B). The blood
lactate concentrations after 440, 760, 1080, 1400, and
1720 m were inversely correlated to Yo-Yo test perfor-
mance (r ⫽ ⫺0.46 to ⫺0.81; P ⬍ 0.05). No systematic
differences were observed in blood lactate concentrations
between the test and retest trials (⫺0.1 ⫾ 0.1, 0.4 ⫾ 0.4, and
FIGURE 4 —Heart rate, expressed in percentage of maximal heart 0.1 ⫾ 0.6 mmol·L⫺1 at rest, after 1080 m, and at exhaustion,
rate (A), blood lactate (B), and plasma Kⴙ (C) before, during, and after
the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test. Values are means ⴞ SEM as well respectively), whereas large intra-individual variations were
as individual values. found (CV: 44, 39, and 17%, respectively). Plasma K⫹ was
4.1 ⫾ 0.1 mmol·L⫺1 at rest and increased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 7.0
⫾ 0.2 mmol·L⫺1 at exhaustion (Fig. 4c). After 6 min of
440, 1040, and 1720 m and at exhaustion, respectively (CV: recovery, plasma K⫹ had decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 3.7 ⫾ 0.1
7, 3, 3, 2 and 1%, respectively). mmol·L⫺1, whereafter it increased (P ⬍ 0.05) to resting
The oxygen uptake during the test, estimated by an indi- levels after 15 min of recovery (Fig. 4C). The plasma K⫹
vidual relationship between heart rate and oxygen uptake during the test was not correlated to Yo-Yo test perfor-
obtained from the treadmill test, was 2.91 ⫾ 0.06 (2.52– mance. No significant difference was found in test-retest
3.23), 3.36 ⫾ 0.07 (2.94 –3.79) and 3.56 ⫾ 0.07 (3.04 – plasma K⫹ either at rest, after 1080 m, and at exhaustion
4.03) L·min⫺1 after 440, 1080 and 1720 m, respectively, (0.1 ⫾ 0.1, ⫺0.2 ⫾ 0.2, and 0.0 ⫾ 0.2 mmol·L⫺1), with CV
which corresponds to 76 ⫾ 2 (69 –91), 87 ⫾ 1 (80 –94), and values of 6, 11, and 7%, respectively. Plasma insulin was
YO-YO TEST RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 701
TABLE 1. Muscle water content, CP, lactate, pH, and glycogen before and immediately after the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test as well as after 90% of exhaustion time.
Rest (N ⴝ 7) Exhaustion (N ⴝ 13) 90% EXH (N ⴝ 6) Exhaustion (N ⴝ 6)
Water content (%) 76.8 ⫾ 0.2 (76.4–77.2) 77.9 ⫾ 0.5* (76.2–81.1) 77.3 ⫾ 0.4 (76.6–79.0) 77.7 ⫾ 0.8 (76.3–81.1)
Muscle CP (mmol䡠kg⫺1 d.w.) 82 ⫾ 6 (70–98) 40 ⫾ 5* (19–73) 41 ⫾ 6 (27–57) 41 ⫾ 10 (19–73)
Muscle lactate (mmol䡠kg⫺1 d.w.) 6.8 ⫾ 1.1 (1.6–9.9) 48.9 ⫾ 6.1* (14.0–78.6) 41.0 ⫾ 6.8 (28.5–64.9) 48.6 ⫾ 9.0 (14.0–78.6)
Muscle pH (⫺log H⫹) 7.16 ⫾ 0.03 (7.01–7.21) 6.98 ⫾ 0.04* (6.77–7.13) 6.98 ⫾ 0.04 (6.90–7.14) 7.03 ⫾ 0.05 (6.81–7.13)
Muscle glycogen (mmol䡠kg⫺1 d.w.) 417 ⫾ 10 (398–457) 320 ⫾ 20* (215–482) 346 ⫾ 44 (208–515) 354 ⫾ 38 (215–482)
Values are mean ⫾ SEM.
* Significantly different (P ⬍ 0.05) from resting value.

11.4 ⫾ 2.4 ␮U·mL⫺1 at rest and decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 6.4 season, the mean distance covered in the Yo-Yo test was not
⫾ 1.2 and 6.9 ⫾ 0.5 ␮U·mL⫺1 after 1080 m and at exhaus- significantly altered (2103 ⫾ 68 m), but large inter-individ-
tion, respectively. Plasma NH3 was 47 ⫾ 6 ␮mol·L⫺1 at rest ual performance changes were observed during the season
and increased (P ⬍ 0.05) to 172 ⫾ 37 ␮mol·L⫺1 after (Fig. 5A). Thus, the mean intra-individual difference in test
1080 m and 229 ⫾ 24 ␮mol·L⫺1 at exhaustion. When result between the start and end of season was ⫺108 ⫾ 107
comparing peak values reached during the Yo-Yo test and (⫺640 to 280) m, with a CV value of 15%. The mean heart
the incremental treadmill test no difference was observed in rate after 6 and 9 min of the test performed at the start of the
plasma K⫹ (7.0 ⫾ 0.2 vs 6.9 ⫾ 0.1 mmol·L⫺1), whereas season was 165 ⫾ 3 and 171 ⫾ 3 bpm, respectively, which
peak blood lactate and peak plasma NH3 were higher (P ⬍ at both time points was 9 ⫾ 2 bpm lower (P ⬍ 0.05) than
0.05) after the Yo-Yo test (10.9 ⫾ 0.1 vs 10.3 ⫾ 0.1 mmol·L⫺1 before the seasonal preparation period (Fig. 5B). No signif-
and 314 ⫾ 22 vs 240 ⫾ 16 ␮mol·L⫺1, respectively). icant differences in heart rate response during the Yo-Yo test
Muscle temperature. Quadriceps muscle temperature were observed during the season (Fig. 5B). The maximal
was 36.6 ⫾ 0.1 (36.0 –37.3)°C before the test and increased oxygen uptake (N ⫽ 10) was 55.2 ⫾ 0.9 mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1, at
(P ⬍ 0.05) to 38.7 ⫾ 0.1 (37.9 –39.2) and 39.9 ⫾ 0.1 the start of the season, which was 7 ⫾ 1% higher (P ⬍ 0.05)
(39.2– 40.7)°C after 440 and 1080 m, respectively, with a than before the seasonal preparation period. Time to exhaustion
further increase (P ⬍ 0.05) to 40.6 ⫾ 0.2 (39.7– 41.4)°C at in the incremental test increased (P ⬍ 0.05) by 14 ⫾ 3% during
exhaustion. During the recovery period, muscle temperature the seasonal preparation phase (331 ⫾ 11 vs 293 ⫾ 11 s).
decreased (P ⬍ 0.05) by 1.0 ⫾ 0.2 and 1.3 ⫾ 0.1°C, The maximal oxygen uptake and time to exhaustion in the
respectively, during the first 5 min and next 10 min, incremental test was not significantly altered during the
reaching 38.4 ⫾ 0.1 (37.8 –38.7)°C after 15 min of re- season with intra-individual CV values being 9 and 8%,
covery. No significant intra-individual difference was respectively.
observed in test-retest muscle temperature at rest, after Positional differences in Yo-Yo test perfor-
1080 m and at exhaustion (0.1 ⫾ 0.2, ⫺0.1 ⫾ 0.1 and 0.0 mance. A grouping of the 37 players into four categories
⫾ 0.1°C, respectively), with CV values being 2, 1 and according to their playing position demonstrated that full-
0%, respectively. backs (N ⫽ 7) had the highest Yo-Yo test performance
Fluid loss. The fluid loss during the Yo-Yo test was during the season averaging 2241 ⫾ 25 (1920 –2680) m.
0.47 ⫾ 0.03 (0.34 – 0.56) L, which corresponds to 0.6 ⫾ 0.0 This was 17% longer (P ⬍ 0.05) than for central defenders
(0.4 – 0.7) % of the body mass. The fluid loss in the test and (1919 ⫾ 47 (1160 –2280) m, N ⫽ 9) and 14% longer than
retest trial was not significantly different (0.47 ⫾ 0.03 and for attackers (1966 ⫾ 30 (1480 –2320) m, N ⫽ 8, Fig. 6).
0.52 ⫾ 0.03 L, respectively), with a CV value of 19%. Midfielders (N ⫽ 13) covered a Yo-Yo test distance of 2173
Seasonal changes in physical performance of ⫾ 23 (1840 –2560) m, and this was 13% longer (P ⬍ 0.05)
soccer players. The Yo-Yo test performance of 10 elite than for the central defenders (Fig. 6).
soccer players was 1760 ⫾ 59 m before the seasonal prep- Yo-Yo test and physical performance during a
aration period and was 25 ⫾ 6% better (P ⬍ 0.05) at the soccer match. A significant correlation was observed
start of the season (2211 ⫾ 70; Fig. 5A). At the end of the between the Yo-Yo test result and the amount of high

TABLE 2. Relative glycogen content in type I, IIa, and IIb fibers before and immediately after the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test.
Glycogen Depletion Pattern
Fiber Type Distribution (%) Full (3) (%) Partly Full (2) (%) Almost Empty (1) (%) Empty (0) (%) Average Rating (n)
Rest
Type I 57 ⫾ 7 (39–80) 62 ⫾ 14 (14–100) 26 ⫾ 9 (0–54) 10 ⫾ 7 (0–50) 1 ⫾ 1 (0–6) 2.50 ⫾ 0.21 (1.64–3.00)
Type IIa 33 ⫾ 5 (19–49) 91 ⫾ 5 (70–100) 8 ⫾ 4 (0–30) 1⫾1 (0–8) 0 ⫾ 0 (0–0) 2.90 ⫾ 0.06 (2.67–3.00)
Type IIb 10 ⫾ 2 (0–12) 78 ⫾ 10 (44–100) 21 ⫾ 10 (0–56) 1⫾1 (0–5) 0 ⫾ 0 (0–0) 2.77 ⫾ 0.11 (2.44–3.00)
All fibers 100 ⫾ 0 (100–100) 75 ⫾ 10 (33–100) 19 ⫾ 6 (0–38) 6⫾5 (0–33) 0 ⫾ 0 (0–2) 2.67 ⫾ 0.14 (2.00–3.00)
Exhaustion
Type I 59 ⫾ 8 (21–80) 68 ⫾ 12 (9–94) 19 ⫾ 4 (5–32) 11 ⫾ 9 (0–60) 2 ⫾ 2 (0–10) 2.53 ⫾ 0.21 (1.29–2.94)
Type IIa 25 ⫾ 6 (9–51) 67 ⫾ 13* (22–100) 20 ⫾ 9 (0–60) 13 ⫾ 7 (0–44) 0 ⫾ 0 (0–0) 2.54 ⫾ 0.19 (1.78–3.00)
Type IIb 16 ⫾ 4 (3–29) 59 ⫾ 9 (37–100) 22 ⫾ 7 (0–44) 19 ⫾ 7* (0–43) 0 ⫾ 0 (0–0) 2.40 ⫾ 0.15* (2.04–3.00)
All fibers 100 ⫾ 0 (100–100) 66 ⫾ 9* (22–82) 20 ⫾ 2 (17–28) 13 ⫾ 7* (1–52) 1 ⫾ 1 (0–7) 2.50 ⫾ 0.18 (1.56–2.81)
Values are mean ⫾ SEM (N ⫽ 7).
* Significantly different (P ⬍ 0.05) from resting value.

702 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine http://www.acsm-msse.org

 FIGURE 6 —Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance for soccer
players in relation to playing position (i.e., central defenders (N ⴝ 9),
fullbacks (N ⴝ 7), midfielders (N ⴝ 13), and attackers (N ⴝ 8)). Values
are means ⴞ SEM. ¤ Denotes significant difference from attackers.
# Denotes significant difference from central defenders.

soccer players. The physiological measurements showed

that aerobic energy turnover reached maximal values and
that the anaerobic energy system was highly taxed toward
the end of the test. Of interest is also that the development
of fatigue during intense short-term intermittent exercise did
not appear to be related to low muscle pH, CP, glycogen
levels, or high muscle lactate concentrations.
A significant correlation was observed between the
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance and the
amount of high-intensity exercise during a soccer game,
FIGURE 5—Seasonal changes in (A) Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test which has been suggested to be a precise measure of phys-
performance and (B) heart rate, expressed as % of maximal heart rate, ical performance during a soccer game (6,8,13,25). Thus,
after 6 min of the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test. Values are means the test appears to be useful to evaluate match-related phys-
ⴞ SEM as well as individual values. # Denotes significant difference (P
< 0.05) from prepreparation period. ical capacity of a soccer player. It should be noted that the
amount of high-intensity exercise varies between matches,
as also illustrated in Fig. 7, due to factors like tactical
intensity running (⬎15 km·h⫺1) during a soccer match (r ⫽
limitations, the quality of the opponent, and the degree of
0.71, P ⬍ 0.05, Fig. 7). The Yo-Yo test performance was
also correlated to the sum of high-speed running and sprint-
ing during the game (r ⫽ 0.58, P ⬍ 0.05) as well as the total
distance covered during a game (r ⫽ 0.53, P ⬍ 0.05). A
significant correlation was found between maximal oxygen
uptake and total distance covered in a match (r ⫽ 0.52, P ⬍
0.05), whereas no significant correlation was found between
maximal oxygen uptake and high-intensity running during a
game (r ⫽ 0.38, P ⬎ 0.05). The performance of the incre-
mental treadmill test to exhaustion was not correlated to
either high intensity running (r ⫽ 0.26, P ⬎ 0.05) or total
distance covered (r ⫽ 0.43, P ⬎ 0.05) during a game.

DISCUSSION
The major findings in the present study were that the
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test had a high reproducibility
and that test performance was closely related to match FIGURE 7—Interindividual relationship between the Yo-Yo intermit-
performance in soccer. In addition, the test had a high tent recovery test performance and the amount of high-intensity run-
ning (>15 km·hⴚ1) during elite soccer matches (r ⴝ 0.71, N ⴝ 18, P <
sensitivity allowing for a detailed analysis of differences 0.05). The connected symbols represent values of high intensity running
between and seasonal changes of the physical capacity of for the same player in subsequent matches.

YO-YO TEST RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 703
motivation. Anyway, the positive relationship between the test show that the rate of glycolysis is high during the test as
Yo-Yo test result and match performance is in agreement also occasionally observed during a soccer game (6,13).
with the finding from a study performed on top-class soccer Together, the test allows a determination of the ability to
referees (21) and suggest that the test provide a valid mea- recover from exercise periods of an intensity similar to that
sure of physical performance in intermittent sports such as obtained in soccer. Another interesting aspect is that the test
soccer. In accordance with this, it was shown that elite can be used to determine an athlete’s maximal heart rate.
soccer players in different playing positions had marked Thus, the peak heart rate reached during the Yo-Yo test
differences in Yo-Yo test performance. Thus, fullbacks and corresponded to 99% of that reached in a standardized
midfielders performed 14 –17% better in the Yo-Yo test maximal heart rate test and for 14 of 17 subjects the test
than central defenders, which corresponds well with the result differed less than 3 bpm.
finding that fullbacks and midfielders cover a much longer The heart rates, expressed in percentage of individual
distance with high-intensity running during top-class soccer maximal values, obtained at fixed time points of the test
games than central defenders (25). Another important find- (i.e., 6 and 9 min) inversely correlated to the performance of
ing also supporting the use of the test was that the elite the Yo-Yo test. However, this relationship was not estab-
soccer players had a major improvement in test performance lished after 3 min, suggesting that the test should be longer
during the precompetitive season (25%), which was consid- than 3 min. Of note is also that submaximal heart rate values
erably larger than the reproducibility of the test (CV ⫽ 5%). were consistently lower throughout the tests performed dur-
In addition, large individual alterations in test performance ing the season compared with the preseason (9 bpm or 5%;
was observed during the season although average values Fig. 5). Together, these observations suggest that heart rate
was unaltered in this period (CV ⫽ 15%). These findings measurements during a submaximal version of the Yo-Yo
illustrate that the test is sensitive and can be used to detect test may also provide information about soccer fitness. It has
differences between players as well as seasonal changes in the advantage that the athletes do not have to work to
“soccer fitness”. exhaustion but the disadvantage that equipment for mea-
Significant correlations were observed between the surements of heart rate is needed. Also blood lactate ob-
Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test performance and time to tained during the test was inversely correlated to the Yo-Yo
exhaustion at the treadmill test and V̇O2max, which could test performance. This relationship was present from 4 to 14
lead to the suggestion that the two latter measures could as min of the test but not after 1.5 min. Thus, although the
well be used in soccer. However, neither treadmill perfor- invasiveness of the procedure has to be taken into consid-
mance nor V̇O2max was correlated to high-intensity exercise eration, blood samples taken during a submaximal version
performance during a game. Furthermore, even though cor- of the Yo-Yo test can add to the information about the
relations were found between the Yo-Yo test, V̇O2max, and physical status of an athlete.
treadmill test performance, large interindividual differences It has been suggested that elevated muscle lactate and
were observed. For example, four individuals with almost lowered muscle pH are the cause of fatigue during intense
the same V̇O2max of 48 – 49 mL·min⫺1·kg⫺1 had very dif- exercise and repeated intense exercise (12,17,29). However,
ferent Yo-Yo test performance (1560, 1760, 2040, and our observations that muscle lactate and pH were the same
2200 m, see Fig. 3B). In addition, the preseasonal changes 1.5 min before the end of the test (90%EXH) as at exhaus-
in Yo-Yo test performance of 25% greatly exceeded those of tion suggest that fatigue is not caused by accumulation of
V̇O2max for soccer players in the present and similar studies hydrogen ions or lactate. These findings are in accordance
(3–11%; 5,18,20,26). When taking into account that the with observations obtained in studies of repeated intense
amount of high-intensity running in elite soccer varies exercise using a knee-extensor model, which showed that
markedly in relation to time of the season (CV ⫽ 24%; 25), fatigue was established at different levels of muscle lactate
it seems as if the Yo-Yo test performance is a more sensitive and pH (10). Low muscle CP has also been suggested to
measure for variations in soccer performance than V̇O2max. cause fatigue, because it has been observed that perfor-
The latter notion is supported by the finding that top-class mance of intense intermittent exercise is improved by a
soccer referees improved their Yo-Yo test performance by period of creatine intake (2,16). However, muscle CP was
31% and the amount of high-intensity running during com- not changing in the last phase of exercise, and the absolute
petitive matches by 23% after 8 wk of intense intermittent CP levels were higher than at exhaustion after intense con-
exercise training, with a negligible change in V̇O2max (3%; tinuous exercise and intermittent sprint exercise (15,19).
NS) (21). Other advantages of the Yo-Yo test are that it can Thus, muscle fatigue during short-term intermittent exercise
be accomplished at low cost (no treadmill, no metabolic does not seem to be related to low muscle CP.
cart) and rapidly. Thus, at least 30 athletes can be tested Studies using prior diet manipulation have shown that
within 20 min. lowered muscle glycogen could play a significant role in the
The heart rate and the corresponding estimated V̇O2 in- development of fatigue during long-term intermittent exer-
creased progressively during the test and reached almost cise (3,4,9). In these latter studies, performance was mark-
maximal levels. The heart rate response during the last edly lowered after a low-carbohydrate diet resulting in ini-
phase of the test was similar to the levels observed during tial muscle glycogen levels below 200 mmol·kg⫺1 d.w. In
the intense parts of a soccer match (5,13). Furthermore, the the present study all subjects had postexercise glycogen
high blood and muscle lactate levels toward the end of the contents above this value (215– 480 mmol·kg⫺1 d.w.), and
704 Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine http://www.acsm-msse.org
based on the PAS-staining, it was observed that more than are highly taxed, and the test evaluates an individual’s
85% of the individual fibers were full or partly full with ability to recover from intense exercise. Thus, it can be
glycogen at exhaustion and that essentially no fibers were used to examine seasonal changes in the physical capac-
glycogen depleted (Table 2). In addition, another study ity of athletes in intermittent sports. The observations in
using intermittent short-lasting exercise has shown no dif- the study also indicate that development of fatigue during
ferences in the rate of glycolysis in a range of muscle intense repeated short-term exercise is not related to
glycogen levels between 250 and 650 mmol·kg⫺1 d.w. and factors such as lowered muscle pH, CP, and glycogen or
no effect on performance of diet manipulated above-normal high muscle lactate.
muscle glycogen contents (7). Altogether, this suggests that
glycogen availability is sufficient during short-term inter- We would like to thank the subjects involved in the study for their
committed participation. The excellent technical assistance of Inge-
mittent exercise for subjects on a normal diet. lise Kring and Bettina Bolmgren is appreciated. We would also like
In summary, the present study showed that the Yo-Yo to thank David Hudson and Jens Jung Nielsen for their practical and
intermittent recovery test has a high reproducibility and is technical assistance.
The study was supported by a grant from Team Denmark. In
a valid measure of physical performance in soccer. Dur- addition, support was obtained by The Sports Research Council
ing the test, both aerobic and anaerobic energy systems (Idrættens Forskningsråd).

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YO-YO TEST RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise姞 705