"Would you have known?" Warming up before exercise – Why the right preparation is key to performance and safety

In this article, you’ll learn about the physiological adaptation processes that a warm-up routine triggers in the body and what the latest sports science research says about designing an optimal warm-up. In addition to the effects on the nervous system, muscles, and joints, we’ll also explore evidence-based methods such as stretching, post-activation potentiation, and passive heat therapy.

Physiological Foundations and Injury Prevention

Warming up encompasses all preparatory measures taken before physical activity to create optimal psychophysical and coordinative-kinesthetic conditions for training or competition. At the neural level, the warm-up activates the autonomic nervous system, which noticeably increases performance capacity and readiness to act. The nervous system becomes alert and attentive, allowing sensory information to be received, processed, and acted upon more quickly and precisely; one anticipates situations faster, reacts more swiftly, and can adapt more easily to changing movement patterns. At the same time, warming up stimulates respiration and increases heart rate, leading to a targeted redistribution of blood volume: Blood flow to the internal organs is reduced, while blood flow to the muscles is significantly increased. At the neuromuscular level, the improved oxygen supply ensures that the muscles become more elastic, more flexible, and more mechanically resilient, allowing them to work much more efficiently. Passive tissues also benefit significantly: The movement stimulates the production of synovial fluid (“joint lubricant”), which optimally prepares the cartilage for subsequent compressive and shear forces, while connective tissue structures gain elasticity and the risk of wear and tear decreases. Through this holistic preparation, warming up serves as an effective means of preventing accidents and injuries, as athletes can react more stably and quickly in unforeseen or critical moments.

Evidence-Based Methods According to Gil et al. 2019

Stretching

The scientific review by Gil et al. (2019) shows that dynamic stretching is superior to static stretching for explosive and speed-strength performance, as it promotes speed and jumping power by increasing body and muscle temperature as well as enhancing neuromuscular activation. It is recommended to perform dynamic exercises lasting less than 30 seconds per repetition and with a total duration of less than 7 minutes. Prolonged static stretching lasting more than 20 seconds, on the other hand, inhibits force transmission and neural muscle control; if it is to be used specifically to improve joint range of motion, it must be kept brief (less than 10 to a maximum of 30 seconds) and must be combined with subsequent dynamic activation exercises to prevent a decline in performance.

Post-Activation Potentiation (PAP)

The study describes post-activation potentiation (PAP) as another highly effective method: Short, maximal stimuli such as depth jumps or heavy squats increase subsequent explosive strength through improved muscle fiber recruitment, provided that an individual recovery phase of 5 to 10 minutes is observed after the stimulus. Although myofascial self-massage (foam rolling) can increase flexibility without causing a loss of strength, it does not lead to clear performance benefits during the warm-up and is therefore recommended more as a supplementary measure.

Passive Warm-up

During passive warm-ups, muscle or core temperature is increased externally without physical exertion, for example through stimulating massages, foam rolling, warm showers, or specialized clothing. While active warm-ups do induce stronger cardiovascular and metabolic adaptations through physical exertion, the passive approach is increasingly gaining importance in practice as a reliable alternative and supplement. It is used in particular to maintain the muscle and core temperature—already achieved through active preparation—during longer waiting periods or transitional phases, such as before the start of a competition or during halftime. Studies show that muscle temperature drops exponentially within 15 to 20 minutes after the end of exercise, with each 1°C reduction associated with a loss of approximately 3% in muscular power; conversely, a 1°C increase can improve subsequent performance by 2 to 5%. The use of passive strategies such as thermal clothing or pants equipped with heating elements prevents this drop in temperature, protects against performance losses, and has been shown to increase peak performance as well as repeated sprint capacity.

Key Points at a Glance

• Dynamic stretching optimally supports strength and sprinting ability, while prolonged static stretching should be avoided before explosive strength exercises or followed by dynamic stretching. In addition, targeted PAP stimuli after 5–10 minutes of recovery improve explosive strength, and passive thermal clothing prevents the performance-reducing drop in temperature during breaks.

• Blood flow, oxygen transport, and nerve conduction velocity only operate at peak levels after warming up.

• The warm-up sharpens the nervous system, accelerates anticipation, and promotes focus on the athletic activity.

• Stimulated synovial fluid, supple fascia, and quick reflexes significantly reduce the risk of strains, overuse injuries, and sports accidents.

Warm up—for more power in your workouts, fewer injuries, and a body that stays healthy in the long term!

Primary source: (PDF) Current Approaches on Warming up for Sports Performance: A Critical Review

Further Reading: Training – fundiert erklärt (Neuauflage 2020) – Bundesamt für Sport BASPO – basposhop.ch