Effects of a game-model-based warm-up on change-of-direction performance in amateur players

Warm-up is an important phase in sports preparation for competition because it affects the cognitive, neuromuscular, and physiological activation of athletes. Furthermore, it optimizes short-term performance and reduces the risk of injury. This study aimed to compare the acute effects of two warm-up methods on change-of-direction performance in amateur athletes. A quantitative, comparative, cross-sectional, and non-experimental design was used to analyze the acute effect of two warm-up methods on change-of-direction in amateur athletes. The population consisted of amateur athletes from a club participating in regional leagues, of whom 24 were selected using non-probability convenience sampling. Statistical analysis included descriptive statistics, normality tests (Shapiro-Wilk test), and homogeneity of variance tests (Levene test). The significance level was set at p < 0.05. In this study, no statistical differences were found in the performance of changes of direction between amateur players who performed a general warm-up and a warm-up based on the game model.