Physical performance and markers of muscle damage following sport-specific sprints in male collegiate soccer players: repeated bout effect.

Background: This is the first study to examine the repeated bout effect (RBE) on physical performance parameters in an athletic population. Protocols used by previous studies to induce muscle injury and assess performance following injury, are dissimilar from those utilized by physically trained individuals or are impractical in relation to athletic performance. The present study uses a sport specific protocol to study the effects of exercise induced muscle damage (EIMD) on physical performance to provide a more systematic analysis of the extent of muscle injury.