Pre-event activity, or a warm-up, is an integral part of most athletes’ preparation for competition. If it isn’t – then it should be! Each athlete has his or her own specific routine to follow in order to be mentally and physically ready for an event. Some find a warm-up essential to perform optimally while others do not bother with one and jump into competition with seemingly apparent ease at times. There is little scientific evidence which confirms or refutes the advantages of pre-event warm-up. While this topic is open to debate, any form of light, muscular activity in the minutes leading up to an event will result in a number of physiological changes which can ultimately improve performance.

With the onset of activity, muscular contractions generate heat. This excess heat results in an increase in muscle temperature. An elevated temperature has been found to improve the chemical reactions which occur when a muscle contracts. Some have stated that a warm-up helps to accelerate the metabolism and this, in turn, enables a muscle to contract more quickly and with a greater degree of force. One of the reasons behind this response is a result of greater enzyme activity. Enzymes are protein molecules, which play an important role by enhancing the rate of a biochemical reaction. It is known that these reactions are very sensitive to a change in temperature. An increase in temperature equivalent to 10 degrees Celsius will cause a doubling of the rate of enzyme reaction. This is known as the Q10 effect. Exercise performed at a given intensity requires about 10 minutes of continuous activity for a muscle to reach an even or stable temperature. With this in mind, your warm-up should be a minimum of 10 minutes duration.

The majority of the small blood vessels, which supply a muscle, are closed at rest, but with the onset of exercise, these vessels dilate which allows for more blood to flow through the muscle. This improved muscle blood flow increases the delivery of oxygen as well as the amount of oxygen released by the red blood cells to the working muscle. Combined with the increases in body and muscle temperature, it is quite obvious that your body can adapt to changes in its environment such that its "machinery" can work more efficiently.

If you currently forego a warm-up prior to a training session or competition, you may not have realized the potential benefits outlined here. Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of what adjustments your body can make in response to a warm-up. For those of you who always engage in a warm-up, the importance of why one should warm-up has further been reinforced.

Bruce Krip, M.Sc.

Level 2 Coach

Midweek Elite Team Member