Self-Selected Versus Standardised Warm-Ups; Physiological Response on 500 m Sprint Kayak Performance

The Effects of Mental Fatigue Induced by the Stroop Test on Muscular Endurance Performance and Neuromuscular Activation in Division III Female Athletes

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect that mental fatigue, as induced by a Stroop test, has on resistance training performance outcomes such as muscular endurance, power output, and neuromuscular activation. Seven female college-aged NCAA Division III student-athletes with at least one year of resistance training experience and were within the 50th percentile for maximal aerobic capacity provided informed consent for participation. During two separate visits, using a within-subject crossover experimental design, subjects completed either the experimental or control condition. Subjects then completed a to-failure leg press test at 50% of their 1-repetition maximum (1RM) followed by an isometric midthigh pull (IMTP) attempt with electromyography (EMG) analysis. The experimental condition consisted of a 30-minute Stroop test, while the control condition consisted of watching 30 minutes of a sitcom. Both activities were completed while cycling at 40% of their aerobic capacity. A NASA Task Load Index (TLX) inventory was administered following the completion of each cycling session to determine the perceived workload and mental fatigue of each activity. While the mentally fatiguing condition was significantly more mentally fatiguing (p = 0.02) than the control condition, mental fatigue did not statistically affect any of the evaluated performance outcomes (p>0.05). These findings suggest that mental fatigue, a common symptom of psychological stress, does not affect resistance-training-related performance outcomes among female athletic populations.

Comparison of low-dose maximal-intent versus controlled-tempo resistance training on quality-of-life, functional capacity, and strength in untrained healthy adults: a comparative effectiveness study

Lack of physical activity is a global issue for adults that can lead to sedentary behaviour and a higher prevalence of health complications and chronic diseases, resulting in reduced quality-of-life (QoL) and functional capacity (FC). A potential strategy to mitigate this inactivity is low-dose resistance training (RT); however, physiological, and psychological responses are limited in evidence. Twenty untrained participants aged 30-60 years old (mean ± SD age 42 ± 7 years, mass 77 ± 13 kg, stature 166 ± 8 cm; 18 females and two males) were recruited and randomly assigned to maximal velocity-intent (MI, n = 10) or controlled-tempo (CT, n = 10) RT according to CONsolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) guidelines. Participants attended one training session per week for 6 weeks, consisting of five sets of five repetitions at 60% of one-repetition maximum (1RM) leg press. The interventions differed only during the concentric phase, with MI group pushing with maximal intent, and CT group pushing in a time-controlled manner (3 s). Outcome measures assessed pre- and post-RT included body mass, body mass index (BMI), strength-to-mass ratio, bipedal balance, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), 30-second sit-to-stand (30s-STS), timed up and go (TUG), and leg press 1RM. Time effects were observed for all demographics and FC-related outcomes, such as identical reductions in mass and BMI (- 2%), improvements in strength-to-mass ratio (25%) leg press 1RM (22%), 6MWT (3%), and 30s-STS (14%), as well as a 9% improvement in both TUG-clockwise and anticlockwise. Results show low-dose once-weekly RT is effective in improving QoL, FC, and strength in untrained healthy adults, regardless of modality. Positive responses from participants suggest an increased likelihood of consistent participation for low-dose once-weekly RT over more intense modalities. Retrospective ClinicalTrials.gov ID (TRN): NCT06107855, 24/10/2023.

Revisiting the 'Whys' and 'Hows' of the Warm-Up: Are We Asking the Right Questions?

The warm-up is considered beneficial for increasing body temperature, stimulating the neuromuscular system and overall preparing the athletes for the demands of training sessions and competitions. Even when warm-up-derived benefits are slight and transient, they may still benefit preparedness for subsequent efforts. However, sports training and competition performance are highly affected by contextual factors (e.g., how is the opponent acting?), and it is not always clear what should be the preferred warm-up modalities, structure and load for each athlete and context. Further, we propose that the warm-up can also be used as a pedagogical and training moment. The warm-up may serve several different (albeit complementary) goals (e.g., rising body temperature, neuromuscular activation, attentional focus) and be performed under a plethora of different structures, modalities, and loads. The current commentary highlights the warm-up period as an opportunity to teach or improve certain skills or physical capacities, and not only as a preparation for the subsequent efforts. Moreover, the (justified) call for individualized warm-ups would benefit from educating athletes about exploring different warm-up tasks and loads, providing a broad foundation for future individualization of the warm-up and for more active, engaged, and well-informed participation of the athletes in deciding their own warm-up practices.

Effect of High-Intensity, Intermittent, Short-Duration Re-Warming up on Cycling Sprint Performance

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of warming up again during half-time (i.e., re-warm up [RW]) with high-intensity, intermittent, short-duration exercise on cycling sprint performance. Participants (male, n = 10) performed intermittent cycling exercise for 40 min, followed by a 15-min half-time period with either rest only (control trials [CON]) or rest followed by a RW (three intervals of 3 s of maximal-effort cycling and 27 s of rest [HII]), after which participants performed the Cycling Intermittent-Sprint Protocol (CISP) to evaluate their sprint performance (17.0 ± 1.4°C, 44.2 ± 7.0% relative humidity). CISP intervals comprised 10 s rest, 5 s maximal effort cycling, and 105 s active recovery at 50% of the maximum oxygen uptake (VO_2max) and were repeated 10 times. All participants performed both trial variations in randomized order. Peak power output of 5-s cycling sprints during the CISP were significantly higher in HII trials than those in CON trials (CON: 813 ± 109 W, HII: 836 ± 118 W, p < 0.05). Oxygen uptake, blood lactate concentration, and the rating of perceived exertion at the beginning of the second half after the RW were significantly higher in HII trials than those in CON trials (p < 0.05). These results demonstrate that the RW with intermittent, high-intensity, short-duration exercise improved subsequent cycling sprint performance in a thermoneutral environment and may represent a new useful RW strategy.