Acute Effects of a 30 s Maximal Anaerobic Cycling Test on Change-of-Direction Performance During Recovery

This study aimed to examine the acute effects of a 30 s maximal anaerobic cycling test on change-of-direction performance during recovery and to determine whether these effects differed between genders and groups. A total of 64 university students who were actively participating in sports participated in the study (33 males, age: 21.0 ± 1.03 years; 31 females, age: 20.38 ± 0.91 years). Participants were assigned to an experimental or control group. Planned change-of-direction (COD) performance was assessed using the Illinois test at baseline and at the 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th minutes of recovery with a photocell timing system. Data were analyzed using a mixed-design ANOVA with Time as a within-subject factor and Group and Sex as between-subject factors. Significant main effects of Time, Group, and Sex were observed (p < 0.05), indicating time-dependent changes in COD performance, overall performance differences between groups, and sex-related differences in Illinois test times. However, no significant Time × Group, Time × Sex, or Time × Group × Sex interactions were found (p > 0.05), suggesting that the pattern of recovery over time was similar across groups and sexes. These findings indicate that a 30 s maximal anaerobic cycling test induces acute fatigue that affects planned change-of-direction performance and that recovery of Illinois test performance is not completed within 10 min, with similar recovery patterns observed across groups and sexes.