Usually on the warm-up that precedes the performance, each athletic trainer has his preferences regarding duration and intensity, this depends on the type of sport to be practiced (power sports such as throws, jumps, etc., endurance sports such as cycling and running, mixed sports football etc), in this way we are faced with those who prefer to warm up at a slow and continuous pace, those who perform a submaximal warm-up, those who reduce the warm-up times.
Regardless of individual preferences, the purpose of warming up is, above all, to bring the body temperature from 37.0 ° C (Normal Body Temperature) to about 39.0 ° C (Optimal Temperature). At this temperature level, all physiological processes and reactions take place with the highest degree of effectiveness, and there is a positive relationship between the speed of biochemical reactions and temperature: the processes that take place in the cell accelerate by 13% for each degree of temperature increase (data already confirmed by various scientific researches).
To clarify, a study conducted by the Institute of Movement Science, University of Westphalia, Munster was recently published.
The study found that the optimal warm-up program, to ensure an increase in the internal body temperature of 39 °, consists of a progressive-maximal intensity with an average duration load (20-25 minutes).
Poor results (average initial temperature increase equal to 0.6-0.7 ° C) were obtained with high temporal duration (45 min) and low intensity load, slight increase (+ 0.9-1.3 ° C ) was obtained with high load but of short duration.This is also confirmed by the fact that sports performance increases by about 7% in the case of a progressive maximum intensity warm-up of medium duration (internal temperature increase of 2 ° C), by 3-5% in the case of an increase in internal temperature. of 1 ° C, minimal increases in temperature produce only minimal, insignificant effects on performance.
For practice, the temperature of 39 ° C is only recommended for professional athletes who need to achieve maximum sporting performance, for the average user who achieves performance in free time and as a hobby it is not important to achieve these goals.
Graduated in physical education and personal trainer
