Warm-up with a weighted vest improves running performance via leg stiffness and running economy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effects of "strides" with a weighted-vest during a warm-up on endurance performance and its potential neuromuscular and metabolic mediators. A bout of resistance exercise can enhance subsequent high-intensity performance, but little is known about such priming exercise for endurance performance.


METHODS
A crossover with 5-7 days between an experimental and control trial was performed by 11 well-trained distance runners.


METHODS
Each trial was preceded by a warm-up consisting of a 10-min self-paced jog, a 5-min submaximal run to determine running economy, and six 10-s strides with or without a weighted-vest (20% of body mass). After a 10-min recovery period, runners performed a series of jumps to determine leg stiffness and other neuromuscular characteristics, another 5-min submaximal run, and an incremental treadmill test to determine peak running speed. Clinical and non-clinical forms of magnitude-based inference were used to assess outcomes. Correlations and linear regression were used to assess relationships between performance and underlying measures.


RESULTS
The weighted-vest condition resulted in a very-large enhancement of peak running speed (2.9%; 90% confidence limits ±0.8%), a moderate increase in leg stiffness (20.4%; ±4.2%) and a large improvement in running economy (6.0%; ±1.6%); there were also small-moderate clear reductions in cardiorespiratory measures. Relationships between change scores showed that changes in leg stiffness could explain all the improvements in performance and economy.


CONCLUSIONS
Strides with a weighted-vest have a priming effect on leg stiffness and running economy. It is postulated the associated major effect on peak treadmill running speed will translate into enhancement of competitive endurance performance.
Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, AUT University, New Zealand. Electronic address: kyle.barnes@yahoo.com.
K R
KR
Barnes
Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, AUT University, New Zealand.
W G
WG
Hopkins
Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, AUT University, New Zealand.
M R
MR
McGuigan
Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand, AUT University, New Zealand.
A E
AE
Kilding
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007866:Leg / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D011897:Random Allocation; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D019876:Sports Equipment; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise / Q000502:physiology*
Neuromuscular characteristics; Priming; Running economy; Running performance; Stiffness; Warm-up