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Does delayed exercise-based priming improve subsequent athletic performance? A systematic review and multilevel
Zitao Wang1, Haitao Li1, Wanyuan Xia2
1School of Physical Education, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, People's Republic of China.
Plos One
|July 30, 2026
Summary
Delayed exercise priming shows a small positive effect on athletic performance. This strategy can be used on competition day if planned in advance, but requires training verification.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Performance Optimization
Background:
- Athletic performance is influenced by pre-competition strategies.
- Exercise-based priming aims to enhance physiological readiness.
- The efficacy of delayed exercise priming requires systematic evaluation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review and meta-analyze the effects of delayed exercise-based priming on subsequent athletic performance.
- To quantify the average effect size of delayed priming interventions.
- To assess the certainty of evidence regarding delayed priming's impact on performance.
Main Methods:
- Systematic review and multilevel meta-analysis adhering to PRISMA 2020 guidelines.
- Inclusion of 26 studies with 46 effect sizes for quantitative synthesis.
- Risk of bias assessment using RoB 2 and certainty evaluation with GRADE.
Main Results:
- A small positive average effect of delayed priming on performance was found (g = 0.232).
- Statistical significance was supported by both random-effects and cluster-robust models.
- The prediction interval crossed zero, and the overall certainty of evidence was low.
Conclusions:
- Delayed exercise-based priming can be a practical competition-day strategy when integrated into planned preparation.
- Careful selection of priming protocols and athlete response monitoring during training are crucial for effective implementation.
- Further research may be needed to clarify optimal protocols given the low certainty of evidence.
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