The effect of a short practical warm-up protocol on repeated sprint performance

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Traditional warm-up protocols often include stretching, but their impact on repeated sprint performance is debated.
• Optimizing warm-up strategies is crucial for athletes aiming to improve performance in activities requiring repeated high-intensity efforts.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of a short, 2-phase warm-up versus traditional 3-phase warm-ups (including static and dynamic stretching) on repeated sprint performance in subelite male soccer players.

Main Methods:

• A crossover design was employed with 11 subelite male soccer players.
• Three warm-up protocols were tested: 2-phase (cardiovascular + high-intensity activity), 3-phase with dynamic stretching, and 3-phase with static stretching.
• Repeated sprint ability was assessed via a test involving 6 x 40-m maximal sprints with 20-second recovery.

Main Results:

• The 2-phase warm-up showed trivial differences in mean sprint time and blood lactate compared to the 3-phase dynamic stretching protocol.
• The 2-phase warm-up resulted in significantly quicker fastest and mean sprint times and higher blood lactate compared to the 3-phase static stretching protocol.
• A possible detrimental effect on fastest sprint time was observed with the short warm-up (no stretching).

Conclusions:

• A 2-phase warm-up (cardiovascular + specific high-intensity activity) is a practical and effective strategy for enhancing repeated sprint ability in athletes.
• While a 3-phase warm-up with dynamic stretching is not detrimental, the 2-phase approach offers performance benefits, particularly over static stretching protocols.