Effects of a task-specific warm-up on anaerobic power.
Twenty-four untrained (UT) males (age 21 +/- 2.5 yr, height 1.77 +/- 0.05 m, weight 75.3 +/- 10.1 kg, values mean +/- SD) performed the Wingate Anaerobic Test (WT) under two conditions, cold (C) and following a warm-up (WU). Trials were separated by a minimum of 48 h. A modified Monark 818 cycle ergometer was interfaced with an Apple IIE microcomputer and peak power (PEAK), mean power (MEAN) and fatigue index (FI) determined. The WU trial consisted of an 8 min incremental continuous cycling bout (cadence 90 rev.min-1) with 5 min rest before the WT. During the C trial subjects completed only the WT. A repeated measures design was employed with order of trials counterbalanced. ANOVA revealed no significant differences for PEAK or MEAN between WU or C conditions. However FI was significantly greater (p less than 0.05) following the WU. A significant correlation (r = 0.45, p = 0.03) was obtained between WU intensity and FI. These findings suggest that our UT subjects were fatiguing themselves during the WU. Future studies are needed to assess whether a task-specific WU in which FI is not impaired would lead to improvements in PEAK and MEAN. Investigators should be aware that a self-spaced WU may increase FI in the WT in UT subjects.
Hawley
J A
JA
School of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Studies, Auckland Technical Institute, New Zealand.
Williams
M M
MM
Hamling
G C
GC
Walsh
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology*; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors