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A warm-up routine prepares the athlete for more intense movements requiring speed and strength. It is designed to gradually adjust his/her organism to more effectively cope with relatively high physical demands. Therefore, an adequate warm-up is important for all athletic activities, whether it be a training session or a competition.
In any athletic activity, it is important to gradually increase the intensity of effort, so that the gradually prepared organism is less susceptible to injury of muscles and related tissue, and capable of much higher levels of performance.
All activity necessitates an increased rate of fuel consumption, specifically in the muscles involved. This is above the normal metabolic processes at rest. An ongoing, increased rate of fuel consumption is only possible when the arteries deliver the nutritive material at a faster rate. This can only be achieved gradually by following a well-designed warm-up routine. It is the easily begun, gradually increased activity during warm-up that stimulates the nervous system and gives it time to set into action this delivery process. As the body temperature rises, the heart rate is increased, and the arteries and capillaries are opened with a resultant increase in the volume of blood flowing to the muscles and delivering nutritive material (oxygen and fuel foods) at a higher rate. This brings about an equal response in the nervous system to more quickly remove metabolic wastes from the muscles.
If the athlete does not gradually increase the intensity of work using a well-designed warm-up routine, initially his/her circulatory system cannot possibly function physiologically in the most efficient way. This insufficient preparation of the circulatory system has a negative two-fold effect. Firstly, stored energy fuels must be consumed in the early stages of activity, and secondly, wastes are not removed quickly enough. Both of these situations may contribute to a very early feeling of fatigue. This lack of proper warm-up prior to vigorous activity creates a situation in which the athlete cannot perform maximally for the first few minutes, not unitl the system becomes adjusted to this new, higher level. It is not necessary to explain the disadvantages of this situation in competitive sports.
Another major consideration is the possibility of injuries to muscles and related tissue due to lack of preparation. In a normal sitaution (i.e., sitting, standing, walking, etc.), the organism is in a relative state of rest. There is a degree of stiffness or tightness in the muscles and related connective tissues, and movements at the joints are somewhat restricted. This is also related to the generally lower level of circulation in the muscles, making them and their related tissue much more susceptible to injury. Through warm-up activities, the blood supply at the specific tissue level is increased, and the muscle fibres become more relaxed and elongated, i.e., more prepared to withstand the demands of activity, more prepared to move easily and quickly.
In summary, a good warm-up prepares the athlete for higher levels of performance and lessens the likelihood of strains and tears to muscles and related tissue and sprains to the connective tissue at the joints.
About the Author
Former Canadian National Track and Field Coaches
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Inside This Book Explore: Concordance | Text Stats Key Phrases - CAPs: Erect Stance, Erect Straddle Stance, Basic Straddle Stance, Kneeling Position, Bending Exercises (more) Browse Sample Pages: Front |