Warm-up in water-polo: report from usual practices of high-level Portuguese coaches

Recent studies have shown that warm-ups positively impact performance across various swimming disciplines; however, research on warm-ups in team sports such as water polo is limited. This study investigated the pre-game warm-up routines of water polo players from different Portuguese National Teams. Coaches from 22 national and international teams provided data through an online questionnaire. Results indicated strong consensus on the importance of warm-ups: 67% of coaches acknowledged mental benefits, and 83% recognised physical benefits. The most common dry-land warm-up exercises included bodyweight movements, stretch cords, and medicine balls, while in-water warm-ups lasted approximately 30 minutes and covered 300 to 800 meters, progressing through structured phases of varying intensity. The in-water warm-up started with a general warm-up, followed by techniques and positional skills, with and without the ball, and concluded with specific game scenarios, including substitute rotations. These findings suggest that elite water polo coaches favour a combined dry-land and in-water warm-up strategy to optimise physical preparation, mental readiness, and tactical execution before a competition.