Effects of active vs. passive recovery on repeated rugby-specific exercises

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of active vs. passive recovery on performance of a rugby-specific intermittent test in rugby union players. Seven male rugby players (20.6 ± 0.5 yrs; 181.9 ± 10.0 cm; 94.5 ± 12.8 kg) performed in random order, over two separate sessions, a specific repeated-sprint rugby test, the Narbonne test (6 × 4 consecutive actions: 1, scrummaging; 2, agility sprinting; 3, tackling; 4, straight sprinting) with 30 s of passive or active recovery (running at 50% of maximal aerobic speed). The Narbonne tests were completed before (pre-test) and after (post-test) a 30-min rugby match. During the Narbonne test, scrum forces, agility and sprint times, heart rate and rate of perceived exertion were measured. Scrum forces were lower in active (74.9 ± 13.4 kg) than in passive recovery (90.4 ± 20.9 kg), only during the post-test (p < 0.05). Fatigue index (%) (p < 0.05) and total sprint time (s) (p < 0.01) were significantly greater in active than in passive recovery, both during the pre-test (11.5 ± 5.7% vs. 6.7 ± 4.5% and 18.1 ± 1.3 s vs. 16.9 ± 0.9 s) and the post-test (7.3 ± 3.3% vs. 4.3 ± 1.5% and 18.3 ± 1.6 s vs. 16.9 ± 1.1 s). Consequently, the results indicated that passive recovery enabled better performance during the Narbonne test. However, it is obviously impractical to suggest that players should stand still during and following repeated-sprint bouts: the players have to move to ensure they have taken an optimal position.