The energy expended and perceived exertion were determined for 9 soccer players while running forwards, backwards, and sideways at three treadmill speeds. The unorthodox modes of motion produced energy expenditure levels and subjective reactions similar to each other but significantly greater than running forwards. The added exertional costs of running backwards and sideways increased disproportionately at the higher speeds.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Reilly et al. (1984) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched one closely related paper. Consider it for comparative context: