The Influence of Warm-Up on Body Temperature and Strength Performance in Brazilian National-Level Paralympic Powerlifting Athletes

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The effects of warm-up in athletic success have gained strong attention in recent studies. There is, however, a wide gap in awareness of the warm-up process to be followed, especially in Paralympic powerlifting (PP) athletes. This study aimed to analyze different types of warm-up on the physical performance of PP athletes. Materials and Methods: The sample consisted of 12 elite Brazilian PP male athletes (age, 24.14 ± 6.21 years; bodyweight, 81.67 ± 17.36 kg). The athletes performed maximum isometric force (MIF), rate of force development (RFD), and speed test (Vmax) in three different methods of warm-up. Tympanic temperature was used to estimate the central body temperature. Results: A significant difference was observed for MIF in the without warm-up (WW) condition in relation to the traditional warm-up (TW) and stretching warm-up (SW) (p = 0.005, η²_p = 0.454, high effect). On the contrary, no significant differences were observed in RFD, fatigue index (FI) and time in the different types of warm up (p > 0.05). Furthermore, no significant differences were observed in relation to the maximum repetition (p = 0.121, η²_p = 0.275, medium effect) or the maximum speed (p = 0.712, η²_p = 0.033, low effect) between the different types of warm up. In relation to temperature, significant differences were found for the TW in relation to the "before" and "after" conditions. In addition, differences were found between WW in the "after" condition and SW. In addition, WW demonstrated a significant difference in relation to TW in the "10 min later" condition (F = 26.87, p = 0.05, η²_p = 0.710, high effect). Conclusions: The different types of warm-up methods did not seem to provide significant differences in the force indicators in elite PP athletes.

Keywords: athletes; powerlifting Paralympic; strength; temperature; warm-up.

Figure 1

Experimental study design. MIF: maximum Isometric Force, RFD: rate of force development, FI: fatigue index, Tempo: time to maximum isometric force, Vmax: maximum speed.

Figure 2

Stretches used as a warm-up method (A) pectoralis major, (B) shoulder and (C) triceps.

Figure 3

Evaluation of maximum repetition (RM) and maximum velocity (m·s⁻¹), with different types of warm up. WW: without warm up, TW: traditional warm up and SW: stretching warm up.

Figure 4

The evaluation of temperature (°C) in different types of warm up and at different times p < 0.05 (ANOVA two-way, and post hoc de Bonferroni), F = 26.87, η²_p = 0.710 (high effect). WW: without warm up, TW: traditional warm up and SW: stretching warm up. “a” p = 0.035; “b” p = 0.002; “c” p = 0.007; “d” p = 0.031; “e” p < 0.001.