Purpose: To investigate the effects of both an active warm-up (AWU) and the diurnal increase in body temperature on muscular power. Methods: Eight male subjects performed maximal cycling sprints in the morning (7:00-9:00 a.m.) and afternoon (5:00-7:00 p.m.) either after an AWU or in a control condition. The AWU consisted of 12 min of pedaling at 50% of [latin capital VO2max interspersed with three brief accelerations of 5 s. Results: Rectal temperature, maximal force developed during the cycling sprint, and muscular power were higher in the afternoon than in the morning (P < 0.05). Rectal temperature, calculated muscular temperature, and muscular power were higher after AWU than in control condition (P < 0.05). Conclusions: The beneficial effect of an AWU can be combined with that of the diurnal increase in central temperature to improve muscular power.
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