Post-Activation Performance Enhancement and Motor Imagery Are Efficient to Emphasize the Effects of a Standardized Warm-Up on Sprint-Running Performances

• Main Authors: Valentin Rumeau (Author), Sidney Grospretre (Author), Nicolas Babault (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: MDPI AG, 2023-05-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Warm-up routines include various tasks focused on the peripheral contractile properties and nervous motor command. This present study was aimed at investigating the acute effects of different warm-up routines, emphasizing either peripheral (post-activation performance enhancement, PAPE) or central (motor imagery, MI) contributions on sport-specific tasks. Eleven young female athletes took part in this cross-over, randomized, controlled trial. They underwent three experimental sessions composed of a standardized warm-up followed by 10 min of (1) rest (CONTROL), (2) maximal concentric leg press (PAPE), or (3) mental repetitions of sprint tasks (MI). Post-tests consisted of reaction time, arrowhead agility test, 20 m sprint, repeated sprint ability, and NASA-TLX fatigue questionnaire. PAPE and MI significantly enhanced the arrowhead agility test (<i>p</i> < 0.001 and <i>p</i> = 0.012, respectively) and repeated sprint ability (<i>p</i> = 0.002 and <i>p</i> = 0.035, respectively) compared to CONTROL, without any difference between PAPE and MI. The 20 m sprint time was better after PAPE as compared to MI (<i>p</i> = 0.005) and CONTROL (<i>p</i> < 0.001), without any difference between MI and CONTROL. Reaction time and the NASA-TLX questionnaire were not affected by the warm-up modalities (<i>p</i> > 0.05). PAPE was the most efficient to optimize warm-up due to its greater peripheral contribution that would improve muscle contractility. MI specifically improved the imagined tasks mostly by central contribution.

Item Description

10.3390/sports11050108
2075-4663