WarmUp: Priming athletes for optimal performance

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Warm-Up Priming athletes for optimal
performance

• Derek Malone

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Overview

• Why Do We Warm Up?
• Types Of Warm Up
• Known Benefits Of Warm Up
• Non Temperature Related
• Temperature Related
• Current Warm Up Limitations
• Static Stretching
• Dynamic Stretches
• Non Temperature Related Benefits (Re-visited)
• Neural Priming
• Psychological Preparation
• Factors In Designing A Warm Up
• References

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Why Do We Warm-Up?

• Reduce Risk Of Injury
• Prepare for the challenges of our sport
• Mentally prepare ourselves

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Types Of Warm Up

• Passive Warm Up -gt
• Involves raising muscle temperature or core
  temperature by external means e.g. hot packs,
  saunas
• Active Warm Up -gt
• Involves exercise e.g. jogging, swimming and
  drills. Likely to induce greater metabolic
  changes than a passive warm up.
• General
• increases temperature by nonspecific body
  movements
• Specific
• increases temperature using similar body parts
  that will be used in the sport.

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Known Benefits Of Warm Up 1

• Temperature Related
• Non-Temperature Related

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Temperature Related

• Decreased resistance of muscles and joints to
  movement
• Greater release of oxygen from haemoglobin and
  myoglobin
• Speeding of metabolic reactions
• Increased rate of neural transmission.

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Temperature Related (cont.)

• However its important to remember these benefits
  only apply in a tight temperature range. Too much
  of a temperature increase and it becomes
  performance inhibiting.
• 370 C is normal body temperature. Heat illnesses
  can occur at temperatures gt400 C 4
• This is especially important in endurance events
  and when competing in hot, humid environments

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Non-Temperature Related

• Increased blood flow to muscles
• Increased baseline oxygen consumption
• Neural Priming
• Psychological effects and increased preparedness

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Current Warm Up Limitations

• Most warm ups today are of the active form.
  However they tend to have an over emphasis on
  flexibility through the mode of static
  stretching.
• They tend to be too general i.e. some jogging
  stretching etc. Need to be more specific.
• They also tend to focus on the temperature
  related benefits and ignore the non temperature
  related ones.

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Static Stretching What Does It Do?

• Increases passive range of motion 3
• Reduction in muscle tightness allows optimal
  technique. 3
• However too much static stretching increases the
  compliance of the muscle tendon unit thus
  reducing some necessary functional muscle
  stiffness.
• Thus reducing the ability of the stretch
  shortening cycle to recycle elastic energy.

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Static Stretching (Cont.)

• This reduces an athletes ability to produce peak
  power immediately after static stretching 5
• It can also hamper their control.
• Thus it is recommended that static stretching is
  not done in a warm up immediately before training
  or an event.

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Static Stretching (Cont.)

• One special case however where static stretching
  is important.
• The Spine. Prolonged sitting or lying prior to
  competition or training shortens the muscles of
  the back.
• In this case stretching the lumbar region is
  important. The cat and cow stretch can be used to
  increase joint fluid viscosity of the lumbar
  region. 6

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The Spine 6

• The spine has loading memory
• Sitting for a long time can cause disc creep
  ligamentous laxity.
• Can last up to 30mins
• This reduces spinal stability can cause failure
  at lower compressive loads
• Cow cat motion exercises gave the lowest levels
  of spinal loads recorded.
• Fast walking also can be used as arm swing
  reduces spinal load

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The Spine 6

• For an athlete who sits a lot at work or who has
  driven a long way for training or competition
  Spinal motion exercises such as the cat cow
  should be included at the start of a warm up.
• Time of day for exercise also plays a part.
• Discs are highly hydrated upon rising from bed.
• Spine is subjected to much higher stress during
  bending can fail at lower compressive loads.

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The Spine 6

• Discs generally lose 90 of their daily fluid
  loss during the first hour after rising from bed.
• Forward spinal flexion (bending forward) is not
  advised during the first hour.
• This is important for sports and work situations
  where high levels of back flexion are present
  e.g. rowing, cycling

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Static Stretching (Cont.)

• Cat and Cow Motion

Start Position Neutral Spine Position
Cat Position
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Static Stretching (Cont.)

• Cat and Cow Motion

Cow Position
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Static Stretching (Cont.)

• So if static stretching is not advised, whats
  the alternative?
• If tight a prolonged stretching routine well
  clear of competition or training should be
  followed.
• Dynamic stretches should be included in place of
  static stretching. Exercises such as Lunge Walks,
  Kung Fu kicks and the Sumo Walk can be used
  instead.
• These increase the flexibility and coordination
  of the chain of muscles involved in a movement
  rather than just stretching an isolated muscle

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Dynamic Stretches

• Sumo Walk

Start Position
Side View
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Dynamic Stretches

• Hamstring Walk

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Non Temperature Related Benefits (Revisited)

• An effort should be made to give these benefits
  greater emphasis in your Warm Up.
• Especially those of neural priming and
  psychological preparation.

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Neural Priming

• Is often an ignored or misused concept
• Some high intensity efforts are necessary to get
  an athletes neuromuscular system firing
  appropriately.
• Right amount of neuromuscular activation at the
  right time is crucial for any complex sports
  movement.

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Neural Priming (Cont.)

• Bad timing, inaccurate muscular activation and
  poor coordination will increase your risk of
  injury.
• Especially with our sedentary lifestyle nowadays,
  poor movement patterns have become more common.
• This needs to be addressed in your Warm Up

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Neural Priming (Cont.)

• Brief bursts of sports specific activity have
  been shown to have ergogenic benefits.
• Rehearsal of sports specific skills in a
  controlled environment is crucial prior to the
  uncontrolled environment of sporting competition
  and training.
• Max speed, acceleration and agility are specific
  motor components. 7

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Neural Priming ( Cont. )

• Jogging and stretching alone do not prepare
  athletes to produce these components optimally.
• Only drawback of this approach is fatigue.
• HI efforts are neurally fatiguing.
• Intensity and duration must be controlled.

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Neural Priming (Cont.)

• Often task and individual specific
• Adequate recovery must be allowed before start of
  competition
• Care must be taken not to deplete the store of
  high energy phosphates.
• Minimum 6 10 mins should be allowed between end
  of warm up and start of competition.

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Typical Inclusive Warm Up

• Light Exercise i.e. jogging ,cycling or swimming
• Dynamic Stretches i.e. Lunge walk, Sumo Walk,
  Kung Fu kick
• Movement drills/Sports specific drills i.e.
  Walking High Knees
• HI efforts i.e. max speed, accelerations, changes
  of direction and plyometrics

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Psychological Preparation

• Benefit of a well rehearsed warm up routine to
  control nerves and competition anxiety.
• Correct arousal level to meet the sporting
  challenge
• Correct arousal levels can improve absolute power
  output by 15 3
• Very individual and sport specific, need to find
  your correct arousal level
• Over arousal can interfere with muscle
  co-ordination and attention

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Psychological Preparation

• Arousal Levels

The Inverted U diagram
Catastrophe theory
P E R F O R M A N C E
O P T I M A L
Under Arousal
Over Arousal
LEVEL OF AROUSAL
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Psychological Preparation (Cont.)
Contrasting Arousal Levels For Two Different
Sports
Weightlifting
Gymnastics
P E R F O R M A N C E
LEVEL OF AROUSAL
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Psychological Preparation (Cont.)

• Gradual narrowing of an athletes attentional
  focus during the warm up to zone in on what
  really matters.
• Mental rehearsal of sports movements i.e. place
  kicker going through his routine
• Decision making i.e. thinking through different
  scenarios and applying successful solutions

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Factors In Designing A Warm Up 2

• Task to be undertaken
• Athletes physical condition i.e. current
  training status
• Athlete Feedback What do they need?
• Environmental Conditions
• Intensity
• Duration
• Constraints imposed by competition i.e. warm up
  area size, call room

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Task To Be Undertaken

• What type of event is it? Speed, Power, Endurance
  
• What are the athletes requirements? Muscles used?
  Changes of direction needed? Accelerations?
  Decelerations? Jumps? Skills involved? Contact
  sport?

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Athletes Physical Condition

• Current Training Status?
• Current Injuries?
• Fatigue Levels?
• Well conditioned athletes might need a slightly
  longer/more intense warm up to sufficiently
  increase muscle temperature
• Specific requirements related to the athletes
  position i.e. back or a forward

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Athletes Feedback

• What do they think they need?
• Did they think previous warm ups prepare them
  fully for competition?
• Be wary maybe warm up needs to be adjusted
  throughout the season as an athletes ability
  changes.

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Environmental Conditions

• Hot ,Humid Adequate cooling may needed to be
  added to the Warm Up!!
• Cold How will athletes keep warm between the end
  of the Warm Up and start of competition?
  Tracksuit?
• Wet Slippy under foot, increased difficulty with
  handling

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Intensity

• How intense does the warm up need to be? Graded
  progression
• How many bouts of intensity are needed?
• Has adequate recovery been factored in? i.e. 610
  mins for max efforts

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Duration

• How long does the Warm Up need to be?
• Tm rises quickly within the first 3-5mins and
  reaches a relative plateau after 10-20mins of
  exercise 2
• How long should the HI reps be?
• Is an inappropriate duration causing un-needed
  fatigue?

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Constraints Imposed By Competition

• Warm Up area size? Is it big enough to cater for
  our normal Warm Up?
• Do we need to split Warm Up? Some in the morning
  and some prior to competition
• Is there a call room situation? How long before
  competition must an athlete be in there? Must it
  be practised in training?

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Summary

• Active warm ups are preferable to passive warm
  ups.
• Static stretching has a limited role in
  preventing injury.
• Specific warm ups are better than general warm
  ups
• Dont forget the non-temperature related
  benefits.
• Dont be afraid of intensity in the warm up.

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END

• Thanks for listening.
• Any Questions?

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References

• Warm Up I Potential Mechanisms and the Effects
  of Passive Warm Up on Exercise Performance.
  David Bishop Sports Med 2003 33
  (6) 439-454
• Warm Up II Performance Changes Following Active
  Warm Up and How to Structure the Warm Up
• David Bishop Sports Med 2003 33 (7) 483-498
• Essentials of Strength and Conditioning (Second
  edition)
• Thomas R. Baechle, Roger W. Earle
• Preparing for Beijing 2008 Athletes Guide
• PCI, NCTC ISC
• Effects of running, static stretching and
  practice jumps on explosive force production and
  jumping performance.
• WB Young, DG Behm. J Sports Med Phys Fitness.
  2003 Mar43(1)21-7
• Ultimate Back Fitness and Performance 3rd Edition
• Stuart McGill
• Specificity of acceleration, maximum speed, and
  agility in professional soccer players
• T Little, AG Williams. J Strength Cond Res.
  2005 Feb19(1)76-8