Abstract

Lack of benefit of warm up on prolonged intermittent-sprint performance has been proposed to be due to use of a pacing strategy by participants. To investigate this, twelve participants performed four cycle trials that consisted of either prolonged intermittent-sprint performance (80 min) or single-sprint performance (4 s), with or without a warm up. The first-sprint of intermittent-sprint performance was also assessed. No interaction effects (P40.05) were found between trials for intermittent-sprint performance for total work (J _ kg71), or percentage work and power decrement. Work done during the first-sprint of intermittent-sprint performance (no warm up) was less (P50.001) than the first-sprint of intermittent-sprint performance (warm up; effect size (ES)=0.59) and both single-sprint trials (warm up and no warm up; ES=0.91, 0.75, respectively). Peak power (W _ kg71) for single-sprint (warm up) was greater (P50.05) than single-sprint (no warm up), and the first-sprint of intermittent-sprint performance (warm up and no warm up). Warm up improved single-sprint performance and the first sprint of intermittent-sprint performance. Use of a pacing strategy probably resulted in similar intermittent-sprint performance between trials. These results suggest that team-sport players should perform a warm up at the start of a game or before substitution during a game. Verf.-Referat