An on-court, ghosting protocol to replicate physiological demands of a competitive squash match

Squash is an intermittent, high-intensity sport which places demand on both the aerobic and anaerobic energy systems (Montpetit, 1990). A normal match consists of a minimum of three and a maximum of five games and can last anywhere from 40 min to over 120 min, depending on skill standard (Graydon et al., 1998). Each game of squash can require as much as 82 rallies and 1722 shots, with only 7 s rest between each rally (Sharp, 1998). As a result of the restricted environment and specific movement patterns, squash match play results in a large physiological and thermoregulatory strain (Blanksby et al., 1980).