Whilst the metabolic responses to submaximal exercise have been relatively well documented little information is available relating to maximal exercise. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine the physiological and metabolic responses to sprint running exercise, with the objective being to contribute to both the understanding of those factors which underlie or determine performance and also to the current understanding of intermediate metabolism in man during exercise. A laboratory-based running test was developed using a non-motorised treadmill, which allowed the simultaneous examination of performance and the associated changes in muscle metabolism during sprint exercise. This test was sensitive enough to monitor the differences in performance between individuals with varying training backgrounds and to monitor the changes in performance within the same group of individuals resulting from a short period of training.