The effect of the recovery duration between warm-up and competition on physiological and psychological markers in well-trained football players : submitted by Terry O'Donnell to Massey University as a thesis for the degree of Master of Science in Exercise and Sport Science
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Date
2013
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Massey University
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Abstract
Purpose: Football players at the elite level are required to cease warming up 20
minutes prior to matches commencing (Blatter & Linsi, 2003). Since a duration of 15-20
minutes may cause muscles cooling, this time period could be problematic for athletic
performance (Bishop, 2003a). Therefore the aim of this research study was to investigate the
effect of varied recovery durations post warm up on physiological, perceptual and
performance measures of football players during the Loughborough Intermittent Shuttle Test
(LIST).
Methods: Thirteen male football players completed five assessment sessions; a graded
exercise test (GXT) to maximal functional capacity, a baseline assessment for athletic
performance (sprint, agility and vertical jump), and three experimental trials. After
completing a standard active warm up, the experimental trials required participants to
passively recover for either 5, 10 or 20 minutes before performing assessments of sprinting,
vertical jump and agility. Thereafter, participants completed a 90 minute intermittent shuttle
protocol (LIST). Heart rate (HR), blood lactate (BLa), the feeling scale (FS), felt arousal
scale (FAS) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) were collected at regular intervals
throughout the LIST. All subjects completed the test on 3 separate occasions under each
recovery condition.
Results: Sprint performance following a 5 minute recovery was significantly slower
than the baseline performance assessment (2.52 ± 0.12s cf. 2.43 ± .09s P < 0.016). Although
both sprint and agility performance showed a trend towards being negatively affected by a 20
minute recovery duration (P = 0.032 and 0.031 respectively), participants vertical jump
typically improved following only 10 minute recovery duration. Participants were less
aroused and experienced lower levels of pleasure (FAS and FS) throughout testing following
the 20 minute recovery duration (1.50 ± 0.97 cf. 2.80 ± 1.14, and .50 ± 1.88 cf. 3.17 ± 1.33, P
< .05). When investigating the physiological and perceptual response during the LIST, the
recovery duration did not significantly influence participants’ HR, BLa, RPE or performance
response.
Conclusion: This study would suggest that a recovery period of 10 minutes post warm
up may improve FAS, FS and VJ during exercise. However, ambiguous findings observed for
BLa failed to provide physiological data to support these findings. The small sample size is
the primary reason for these equivocal results. Future research should consider the effect of a
larger sample size, inclusion of sport-specific skills and mechanisms for maintaining
temperature during this interim period.
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Keywords
Football players, Warm-up exercises, Football training, Exercise physiology, Football player performance, Soccer