Effects of Duration, Intensity, and Recovery Intervals of Dynamic Warm-Up Protocols on Subsequent Acute Explosive Performance Outcomes in Competitive Athletes

In explosive sports, the exertion of power, which occurs within a second, is a primary determinant of skill-related fitness such as speed and agility. In order to prepare athletes for the skill used in subsequent sports, dynamic warm-up is introduced. Variation in the duration, intensity, and recovery intervals of dynamic warm-up creates uncertainty when designing the optimal protocol for enhancing explosive performance. As such, along with discussing the mechanisms, this review aims to explore the evidence-informed ranges for the three variables, interactions between the variables, and sports-specific applications based on existing literature. Current evidence suggests that the major function of dynamic warm-up is to increase core temperature and neuromuscular activation, following the RAMP model for warm-up. Intensity of warm-up serves to elicit post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE), which contributes to acute performance changes. On the other hand, the magnitude of these beneficial effects is dependent on achieving a balance between potentiation and fatigue, both exerted through exercises, as inappropriate design would diminish performance improvements. Thus, when designing dynamic warm-up protocols, individualized manipulation of duration, intensity, and recovery intervals based on sports-specific demands and athletes' characteristics would greatly promote the effectiveness of warm-up.