London, May 30 (IANS) Many coaches and physiologists glowingly describe how a longer warm-up increases muscle temperature and metabolism, leading to more oxygen intake, factors vital in performance. But a study says the strategy may backfire.
University of Calgary (Spain) kinesiology researcher Elias Tomaras says the study idea came to him while watching track and field sprinters warm up for a race, reports the Journal of Applied Physiology.
‘If you watch sprinters, short distance speed skaters or cyclists before their race, they will often warm-up for one to two hours, including several brief bouts of high intensity exercise. From an exercise physiology point of view, it seemed like it might be pretty tiring,’ adds Tomaras.
Tomaras’ study suggests that at the very least, athletes may want to lower the intensity and reduce the amount of time that they warm up, according to a Calgary statement.
The experiment involved high performance sprint cyclists performing a traditional warm-up lasting about 50 minutes with a graduated intensity that ranged from 60 to 95 percent of maximal heart rate, before ending with several all-out sprints.
The experimental warm-up was much shorter at about 15 minutes and was performed at a lower intensity, ending with just a single sprint.
The researchers conducted a number of tests following each warm-up to accurately measure the athlete’s power output and fatigue.
‘What we found was that the shorter warm-up resulted in significantly less muscle fatigue and a peak power output that was 6.2 percent higher. This represents a substantial improvement for an elite athlete,’ says Tomaras.
