Warming Up Before a 20-Minute Endurance Effort: Is It Really Worth It?
in International Journal of Sports Physiology and PerformancePurpose: To analyze the effects of different warm-up protocols on endurance-cycling performance from an integrative perspective (by assessing perceptual, neuromuscular, physiological, and metabolic variables). Methods: Following a randomized crossover design, 15 male cyclists (35 [9] y; peak oxygen uptake [VO2peak] 66.4 [6.8] mL·kg−1·min−1) performed a 20-minute cycling time trial (TT) preceded by no warm-up, a standard warm-up (10 min at 60% of VO2peak), or a warm-up that was intended to induce potentiation postactivation (PAP warm-up; 5 min at 60% of VO2peak followed by three 10-s all-out sprints). Study outcomes were jumping ability and heart-rate variability (both assessed at baseline and before the TT), TT performance (mean power output), and perceptual (rating of perceived exertion) and physiological (oxygen uptake, muscle oxygenation, heart-rate variability, blood lactate, and thigh skin temperature) responses during and after the TT. Results: Both standard and PAP warm-up (9.7% [4.7%] and 12.9% [6.5%], respectively, P < .001), but not no warm-up (−0.9% [4.8%], P = .074), increased jumping ability and decreased heart-rate variability (−7.9% [14.2%], P = .027; −20.3% [24.7%], P = .006; and −1.7% [10.5%], P = .366). Participants started the TT (minutes 0–3) at a higher power output and oxygen uptake after PAP warm-up compared with the other 2 protocols (P < .05), but no between-conditions differences were found overall for the remainder of outcomes (P > .05). Conclusions: Compared with no warm-up, warming up enhanced jumping performance and sympathetic modulation before the TT, and the inclusion of brief sprints resulted in a higher initial power output during the TT. However, no warm-up benefits were found for overall TT performance or for perceptual or physiological responses during the TT.
Barranco-Gil, Alejo, Gil-Cabrera, Montalvo-Pérez, Talavera, Moral-González, Clemente-Suárez, and Lucia are with the Faculty of Sport Sciences, European University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain. Valenzuela is with Physiology Unit, Dept of Systems Biology, School of Medicine, University of Alcalá, Madrid, Spain, and the Dept of Sport and Health, Spanish Agency for Health Protection in Sport, Madrid, Spain. Clemente-Suárez is also with the Grupo de Investigación en Cultura, Educación y Sociedad, University of the Coast, Barranquilla, Colombia. Lucia is also with the Inst de Investigación Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain.
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