The document discusses the purpose and effects of warming up before exercise. It covers three main topics: 1) why warming up is important to prevent injury and prepare physically and psychologically for competition, 2) the physiological effects of warming up like increased muscle temperature, blood flow, and VO2 kinetics, and 3) different types of warm ups and how their effectiveness can vary based on the individual, environment, and event duration, with benefits seen most clearly for short and intermediate duration events.

1. Warming up:
science and art
Andrew R. Coggan, Ph.D.

4. warm up…

5. Topics to be covered
1) Why warm up?
2) What happens when you
warm up?
3) How should you warm up?

6. Jones AM, Koppo K, Burnley M. Effects of prior
exercise on metabolic and gas exchange
responses to exercsie. Sports Med 2003; 33:949971.
Bishop D. Warm up I: potential mechanisms and
the effects of passive warm up on exercise
performance. Sports Med 2003; 33:439-454.
Bishop D. Warm up II: performance changes
following active warm up and how to structure
the warm up. Sports Med 2003; 33:483-498.

7. Why warm up?
1) To prevent injury
2) To psychologically prepare for
competition
3) To physiologically prepare for
competition

8. Why NOT warm up?
1) Inconvenient
2) Because performance may actually
be impaired due to:
A) residual fatigue
B) hyperthermia
C) glycogen depletion

9. What happens when you warm up?
Tm and Tr
↔ muscular strength
muscular viscosity
(slight)
speed of muscle
contraction
maximal power
(+10% per °C when
cycling at 140 rpm)
HR, Q, and muscle
blood flow
overall speed of VO2
kinetics
primary VO2 gain
VO2 slow component
decline in muscle pO2
glycogenolysis
lactate accumulation
iEMG

10. Effect of “priming” exercise on
VO2 kinetics: upright vs. supine
Jones AM et al. J Appl Physiol 2006; 101:1432-1441

11. Energy metabolism during repeated
30 s sprints

12. Different types of warm up
1) Passive vs. active
2) Specific vs. non-specific
3) “Scripted” vs. “free form”

13. Effects of passive warm up on
performance
1) Event duration ≤10 s: performance improved
by up to 6%
2) Event duration 10 s to 5 min: performance not
improved or may be impaired
3) Event duration ≥5 min: performance not
improved or may be impaired

14. Effects of active warm up on
performance
1) Event duration ≤10 s: performance improved
by up to 6%
2) Event duration 10 s to 5 min: variable results
3) Event duration ≥5 min: variable results

15. Bishop’s recommendations for
warm up
1) Duration: 10-20 min
2) Intensity: 60-70% of VO2max (75-85% of
functional threshold power)
3) Recover for ≥5 min but ≤20 min
4) Performance may be further improved by
insertion of brief, non-fatiguing bursts of a
task-specific nature.

16. Factors influencing how much (if any)
warm up is optimal
1) The athlete
2) The environment
3) The competition

17. Different types of warm up
1) Passive vs. active
2) Specific vs. non-specific
3) “Scripted” vs. self-selected

18. Sample “scripted” warm up used by
German track cycling team
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
20 min at “basic training” intensity
5 min at “evolution training” intensity
20 min active recovery (self-selected intensity)
5 min at “evolution training” intensity
10 min at “basic training” intensity
20 min of rest or active recovery
Where:
“Basic training” = 50-60% of VO2max (65-75% of functional threshold power)
“Evolution training” = “Cadence-orientated track training with intensities around
the anaerobic threshold”
Schumacher YO, Mueller P . The 4000-m team pursuit cycling world record:
theoretical and practical aspects. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2002; 34:1029-1036

19. Advantages of a “scripted” warm up
1) Assures adequate warm up
2) Can be confidence-inspiring

20. Disadvantages of a “scripted” warm up
1) Does not account for
athlete, environment, or
competition
2) Can undermine athlete’s
confidence if unable to
execute as planned

21. Variations in self-selected warm up
among experienced cyclists
Palmer CD et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41:221-229

22. Effect of warm up on performance:
individual differences
Palmer CD et al. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2009; 41:221-229

24. Differing approaches to warm up:
an example

25. Did warm up make the difference??

26. Summary and conclusions
1) Warm up may or may not improve
performance.
2) Significant improvements in
performance are more likely in short
and intermediate vs. longer events.

27. Summary and conclusions (con’t)
3) Improvements in performance over
short durations likely due to
increase in muscle temperature.
4) Improvements in performance over
intermediate durations likely related
to increased aerobic energy
production early in exercise due to
reduced “metabolic inertia”.

28. Summary and conclusions (con’t)
5) Individuals may differ in how much
warm up they require, and/or in
how they need to warm up.
6) A self-selected warm up strategy
may be just as effective as a
“scripted” approach.

29. Summary and conclusions (con’t)
7) Warm up may impair performance if
it results in residual fatigue,
hyperthermia, and/or premature
glycogen depletion.
8) IOW, more is not always better!