Use of additional warm-up strategies in the pre-race transition period enhances sprint swimming performance

Introduction: Active warm-up has been reported to elevate body temperature1 and increase muscle contractile performance2, both of which are considered crucial for optimal performance. Although several studies have examined the impact of pre-competition warm-up strategies in swimming, new strategies such as passive heating and dryland-based exercise circuits have emerged. The objective of the present study was to determine the impact of a standardised pool warm-up in combination with various additional warm-up strategies on sprint swimming performance.

Method: On four separate occasions, sixteen national age-group (11 male, 5 female, aged 13–19 y) swimmers completed a standardised, 25 min pool-based warm-up, followed by a simulated 30 min pre-race transition period (which included a 15 min simulated marshalling period) before completing a 100 m freestyle time-trial. During the pre-race transition period, swimmers wore standard tracksuit pants and completed, in random order the following additional warm-ups (i) standard tracksuit top (CON), (ii) insulated tracksuit top with integrated heating elements (PAS), (iii) standard tracksuit top and completed a 4 min dryland-based exercise circuit (DRY), or (iv) a combination of PAS and DRY (COMBO). Overall performance times, core temperature (Tc) and blood lactate concentration were monitored throughout each trial.

Results: Overall performance times were normalised against best effort time and transformed into percentages prior to analysis. Mean performance times for DRY (p = 0.02; x¯ = 100.97%) and COMBO (p = 0.00; x¯ = 100.31%) were significantly faster than CON (x¯ = 102.09%). Mean Tc declined significantly less in the pre-race transition period in the COMBO (p = 0.015; x¯ = 0.13°C) versus CON (x¯ = 0.64°C) condition and marginally less in DRY (p = 0.076; x¯ = 0.24°C). Mean post time-trial lactate concentrations were not significantly different between conditions.

Conclusions: The use of additional warm-up strategies incorporating dryland-based exercise routines alone or in combination with electrically heated tracksuit tops, in the pre-race transition period can attenuate the decline in Tc and significantly improve sprint swimming performance.