High-intensity warm-ups elicit superior performance to a current soccer warm-up routine

Objectives: This study investigated the acute effects of a currently implemented team-sport warm-up and two alternative, high-intensity, short-duration protocols – 5 repetition maximum leg press and small-sided games. Design: Ten male soccer players participated in a randomised, cross-over study. Methods: Participants performed a team-sport, a leg-press, or a small-sided game warm-up. Subsequent performance tests included counter-movement jump, reactive agility, and 15 × 20 m sprints embedded in an intermittent exercise task. Physiological measures included core temperature, blood lactate concentration, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion. Data were analysed using the effect size statistic with 90% confidence intervals, and percentage change, to determine magnitude of effects. Results: Counter-movement jump height improved following the small-sided game (6%, ES: 0.8 ± 0.8) and leg-press warm-up (2%, ES: 0.3 ± 0.5), but not after the team-sport warm-up (‘unclear’ effect). Reactive agility improved after the small-sided game (4%, ES: 0.8 ± 0.7) and leg-press warm-ups only (5%, ES: 1.1 ± 0.7), when compared to baseline. Mean 20-m sprint times during the intermittent exercise task improved following the leg-press warm-up, when compared with the small-sided game (9%, ES: 0.9 ± 0.3) and team-sport warm-ups (7%, ES: 0.6 ± 0.6). Core temperature was lower following the leg-press warm-up compared to small-sided game (1%, ES: 0.9 ± 0.7) and the team-sport WUs (2%, ES: 2.4 ± 0.8). Blood lactate was highest following the small-sided game (67%, ES: 2.7 ± 0.8) and team-sport warm-ups (66%, ES: 2.9 ± 0.9). Conclusions: A leg-press and small-sided game warm-up may improve acute team-sport performance tests when compared to a traditional warm-up protocol.