Investigation of Warm-Up and Cool-Down Habits and Knowledge Levels of Warm-Up Habits of Amateur Male Football Players

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the warm-up-cool-down habits and warm-up knowledge of male amateur football players before training and competition. Method: In this cross-sectional study, male amateur football players aged between 13 and 18 years who were licensed in Bodrum Football Club were included. Data regarding age, weight, height, body mass index, educational status, age of starting the sport, warming-up and cooling-down habits before competition/training and injury status of the participants were recorded using the form prepared by the researchers. In addition, the Athlete Warming Habits Information Form was used. Results: The study included 92 male amateur football players with a mean age of 15.11±2.05 years. It was found that 84.8% of the participants warmed up regularly before training, 65.2% cooled down regularly, 43.5% (n=40) had no injuries, 18.5% (n=17) had ligament injuries, 21.7% (n=20) had muscle-joint injuries and 29.3% (n=27) had bone injuries. The overall mean of the Athlete Warm-up Habit Information Form was 3.25±0.31, the mean of the negative questions was 2.47±0.40 and the mean of the positive questions was 4.03±0.46. Conclusion: The results show that the majority of athletes are aware of warming up, but cooling down habits are less established. The fact that cooling down habits after training or competition are less established than warming up habits may indicate that cooling down processes are neglected by amateur footballers. Therefore, it is recommended that amateur football players receive more training on cooling down and injury prevention. Repeating the study with different groups in a larger sample size and conducting long-term follow-ups will allow a better understanding of how warm-up and cool-down habits affect the risk of injury.