Official protocol by Jens Bangsbo (early 1990s) · Intermittent Recovery
Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test Level 2 (Yo-Yo IR2)
Evaluate elite athletes' ability to recover from repeated exercise with high anaerobic contribution
Primary measureDistance (m) or Level.Circuits
CategoryIntermittent Recovery
FormatPROGRESSIVE
Pacing audio0.01s Calibrated
Standardized testing protocol
Similar to IR1, runners complete 20m shuttle runs at incrementally increasing speeds with 10 seconds of active rest. Speed levels are higher than IR1, leading to maximal anaerobic contribution.
Required field equipment
25-meter track with markers at 0, 5, and 25m, audio source with double-beep cue, flat surface
Calculation formula & scoring
Time4Test automates this equation directly during the session:
VO2max = (Final distance (m) × 0.0136) + 45.3
Scientific reference
Bangsbo, J. et al. (2008). The Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test. Sports Medicine.
Protocol note
The app does not count the last two shuttles in the final score calculation.
Execute in Time4Test
Calibrated acoustic audio cues, live split recording, and instant automated calculation on your smartphone.
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