Designing a warm-up protocol for elite bob-skeleton athletes.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate how different warm-ups influenced subsequent sled-pull sprint performance in Olympic-level bob-skeleton athletes as part of their preparation for the 2010 Winter Olympics.


METHODS
Three female and 3 male athletes performed 5 different randomized warm-ups of differing intensities, durations, and timing relative to subsequent testing, each 2 days apart, all repeated twice. After warm-ups, testing on a sled-pull sprint over 20 m, 3 repeats 3 min apart, took place.


RESULTS
Performance testing showed improvement (P < .001, ES > 1.2) with both increasing intensity of warm-up and closeness of completion to testing, with 20-m sled sprinting being 0.1-0.25 s faster in higher-intensity protocols performed near testing In addition, supplementing the warm-ups by wearing of a light survival coat resulted in further performance improvement (P = .000, ES 1.8).


CONCLUSIONS
Changing timing and intensity of warm-up and using an ancillary passive heat-retention device improved sprint performance in Olympic-level bob-skeleton athletes. Subsequent adoption of these on the competitive circuit was associated with a seasonal improvement in push times and was ultimately implemented in the 2010 Winter Olympics.
UK Sport, London, UK.
Christian
C
Cook
Danny
D
Holdcroft
Scott
S
Drawer
Liam P
LP
Kilduff
D000328:Adult; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D052580:Muscle Stretching Exercises / Q000379:methods*; D011481:Protective Clothing; D038161:Snow Sports / Q000502:physiology*