Effects of selected warm-up procedures on performance in young female soccer athletes.

The purpose of this study was (a) to compare the effects of a standardized static versus dynamic warm-up protocol on selected performance measures in young female soccer athletes, and (b) to examine the effects of three different time intervals following the dynamic warm-up on the same performance outcomes. Twenty high school varsity female soccer players (age: 16.05+/-0.83 yrs) each participated in one initial study familiarization session and four randomly assigned experimental test sessions consisting of a 10-min static warm-up with a 2-min time interval until performance testing (S2), and a 10-min dynamic warm-up with three different time intervals (2-min [D2]; 5-min [D5];15-min [D15]) prior to testing.

All test sessions were separated by at least 48 hours and took place indoors.

Performance testing consisted of a standing broad jump, a 9.14-meter sprint timed to 1/100th of a sec using a touchpad and infrared beam technology timing system (Model: Speed Trap I, Brower Timing Systems, Draper, UT), and a sit-and-reach flexibility test. Repeated measures ANOVA on the warm-up conditions demonstrated a significant difference among the four different procedures (F(3, 57) = 6.71; p<0.00). Post hoc comparisons (Duncan's New Multiple Range Test) revealed that participants' sprint performance was faster following D2 (1.97+/-0.07 sec) and D5 (1.97+/-0.08 sec) warm-ups than in S2 (2.03+/-0.09 sec) and D15 (2.01+/-0.09 sec), and standing broad jumps were significantly longer following D5 (180.85+/-17.67 cm) than D15 (176.28+/-19.56 cm). This study extends previous research indicating an improved jump and sprint performance immediately following a dynamic warm-up compared to a static warm-up.

Moreover, the advantage of the dynamic warm-up diminished when the time interval from warm-up to performance testing was elongated to 15 min.