Warm-Up Strategies at Halftime: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial in a Professional Women's Soccer Team

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Performance Analysis

Background:

• Maintaining optimal physical and physiological readiness during halftime is crucial for professional athletes.
• Active re-warm-up strategies during the interval may mitigate performance decrements.
• Limited research exists on the comparative effectiveness of different short-duration halftime re-warm-up protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of a strength, plyometrics, and balance protocol (SPBP) versus a soccer-specific protocol (SSP) during the final three minutes of halftime.
• To assess the impact of these protocols on 20-m sprint, countermovement jump (CMJ) performance, and perceived readiness (ARMS).

Main Methods:

• Twenty-two professional soccer players participated in a simulated match, randomized to either SPBP or SSP during halftime.
• Sprint and CMJ performance were measured pre-warm-up and post-re-warm-up.
• The Acute Readiness Monitoring Scale (ARMS) questionnaire assessed perceived readiness.

Main Results:

• No significant interaction effects were found between protocols and time points for sprint or CMJ performance.
• A significant decrease in 20-m sprint performance was observed post-re-warm-up compared to pre-match.
• No significant differences were found between SPBP and SSP in terms of performance or perceived readiness (ARMS).

Conclusions:

• Both 3-minute SPBP and SSP are practical halftime re-warm-up interventions with comparable effects on physical performance and perceived readiness.
• Player preference may guide the choice of protocol, although SSP faces practical field access limitations.
• Further research comparing active re-warm-ups to passive controls is recommended to ascertain true effectiveness.