Active warm up normally improves physiological performance and exercise capacity mainly because of an increase in core and muscle temperature, and also an increase in perfusion of oxygen. Less attention has been focused on the time between the end of warming up and start of training or competition with the aim to improve performance. To improve performance, according to Bishop et al., (2003) that recovery period should be less than ~5 min. Only a few previous existing studies have examined the effect of different rest intervals after warm-up on subsequent high intensity performance. The aim of this study was to utilize a new intervention protocol that identifies important selected physiological variables that effect performance by using a warm-up protocol that may be incorporated in sports training. Methods: Six endurance trained athletes (mean+SD: 26 ±4 yrs, VO2max of 72.6 ±6.67 l/min/kg) performed an initial VO2max test followed by 3 randomized tests of 20 min treadmill warm-up at a moderate intensity. After the warm up, the subjects rested for either 30s, 3, or 10 min before starting an all out run to exhaustion at a speed representing 110% of VO2max. The subjects also performed an identical criterion test but without the warm-up. The following physiological variables were measured: oxygen uptake (VO2), heart rate (HR), blood lactate concentration (LA), minute ventilation (VE), respiratory exchange ratio (RER), indirect oximetry (SaO2), and rectal temperature (Tr) were measured in all the performance tests. Results: Time to exhaustion increased significantly (P<0.05) when using a warm-up following a rest interval of 30s (190±46.5s), 3 min (188±52.2s) and 10 min (190±44.1s) compared to no warm-up (122±37.4s). No statistical difference in time to exhaustion was observed between the tests using the 3 rest periods (P >0.6). Tr decreased significantly by -0.12°C and -0.28°C when subjects rested for 3 and 10 min (P=<0.05). There was also significant difference for RER (P<0.05) between no warm-up and 3 and 10 min rest interval tests. No significant difference was observed in peak values for VO2, HR, VE, LA, and SaO2 in performance tests using the 3 rest periods. Discussion: Although a significant decrease in Tr was observed during various rest periods, the minor decreases in Tr resulting from 3 and 10 min tests seem not to have influenced the performance negatively. In practice, the importance of relatively short rest periods (<5 min) to enhance performance are likely not as relevant as previously suggested in the literature. Further studies are needed to elucidate the results of this and other studies.
© Copyright 2012 17th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Bruges, 4. -7. July 2012. Veröffentlicht von Vrije Universiteit Brussel. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.