Warm-up strategies of professional soccer players: Practitioners' perspectives

Towlson, Christopher; Midgley, Adrian W.; Lovell, Ric

Abstract

Recent research has challenged the typical pre-match and half-time (HT) interval warm-up (WU) routines currently used by professional soccer players. This study surveyed 2010/11 season WU strategies and their underpinning scientific reasoning and situational factors via an internet-based questionnaire, which was distributed to English Premier League and Championship practitioners, of which 43% responded. The pre-match WU duration was 30.8 (8.2) min, ranging between 15-45 min, and 89% of practitioners administered a WU of ≥ 25 min. Respondents also reported a 12.4 (3.8) min period between the end of the WU and match kick-off. Eighty-nine per cent recognised the physiological benefits of re-WUs during this "down-time" period, with 63% instructing players to engage in such activity. During HT, 58% instructed players to re-WU either on the pitch or within stadia facilities, but "unwillingness of the coach/manager" (42%) and a "lack of time" (63%) were major constraints. Practitioners reported that 2.6 (1.6) min might be available for HT re-WUs. Factors such as match regulations, league policy, and stadia facilities were not generally considered as major barriers to the delivery of WU and re-WU strategies. We suggest that researchers consider the time-demands and barriers faced by practitioners when developing experimental designs to examine WU regimens. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Citation

Towlson, C., Midgley, A. W., & Lovell, R. (2013). Warm-up strategies of professional soccer players: Practitioners' perspectives. Journal of sports sciences, 31(13), 1393-1401. https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2013.792946

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 27, 2013
• Online Publication Date: Jun 4, 2018
• Publication Date: Jun 4, 2013
• Deposit Date: Oct 24, 2020
• Journal: Journal of Sports Sciences
• Print ISSN: 0264-0414
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-447X
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 31
• Issue: 13
• Pages: 1393-1401
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2013.792946
• Keywords: Survey; Situational factors; Current practice; Theoretical reasoning
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/562293
• Publisher URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2013.792946