title: Warm-up strategies of professional soccer players: practitioners' perspectives.
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 WUand re-WU strategies. We suggest that researchers consider the time-demands and barriers faced by practitioners whendeveloping experimental designs to examine WU regimens.
authors.affiliation: Sport, Health and Exercise Science, University of Hull, UK.
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Towlson
authors.forename: Adrian W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.forename: Ric
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lovell
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012586:Science; D012916:Soccer / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise / Q000502:physiology