Long or short warm-up – what's best?
How much warm-up do you actually need before intervals? This article reviews research comparing short and long warm-ups for running. The main question is whether a general warm-up truly enhances performance, or if a few increasing speed surges are sufficient. The results show that for shorter intervals, a long warm-up does not seem to provide a clear performance advantage. However, it may be more relevant for longer sessions or when the body needs more preparation. The conclusion is that the length of the warm-up should be adapted to the nature of the workout and your energy status.
How long should you warm up before intervals?
Maybe you're one of the thousands of athletes exercising on the trainer, pounding away on the treadmill or running track, or working hard on the SkiErg, pushing through intervals week after week? Do you also have a tight schedule and try to squeeze in intervals during lunch at work? Then you're probably interested in finding out how "little" warming up you need without hindering your performance.
Time efficiency is crucial and, of course, the area has been studied. Earlier this year (2017), an article titled “Effects of Short or Long Warm-up on Intermediate Running Performance” was published, where the researchers aimed to investigate whether it was better to perform a general warm-up plus some progressive sprints before intervals, or if a few progressive sprints alone would suffice.
The participants first underwent basic tests where they determined their max heart rate, peak running speed, and more before the main experiment. During the treadmill test, participants tried the following warm-up methods:
- 10 minutes at 70% of maximal oxygen uptake, VO2max, (general) followed by 1 minute of rest and then 8×60 m sprints (specific) from 60% to 95% of maximal running speed with 5% increments and 1 minute of rest, with some dynamic stretching between each sprint.
- 8×60 m sprints (specific) from 60% to 95% of maximal running speed with 5% increments and 1 minute of rest, with some dynamic stretching between each sprint. In other words, the same setup but without the general warm-up beforehand.
After the warm-up, they performed a 5-minute active cooldown (walking on the treadmill) followed by a 3-minute running test with all necessary measuring equipment (oxygen mask etc.) to measure performance.
Results
Both heart rate and perceived exertion were slightly higher in participants who also did a general warm-up. It's worth noting that both groups reached about 85% of max heart rate by the end of the 60 m sprints, so the heart was equally prepared at the start.
The same result has been shown in a similar study on football players published about half a year earlier by the same research team.this text...Does it affect performance?
The warm-up should prepare the body for optimal performance. For instance, when running, our goal is to reduce the initial oxygen debt, which occurs before your oxygen uptake matches oxygen consumption. Starting at full speed immediately forces the muscles to work anaerobically because the body isn't yet ready to supply oxygen at the necessary rate. This creates a gap between consumption and delivery, leading to an oxygen debt, increased anaerobic load, and more lactic acid—factors that could hinder your performance later in the session.
The warm-up uses energy, so it's crucial to find a balance between getting the body "ready" without tiring the muscles unnecessarily. For longer distances, it's beneficial to include a general warm-up to prepare tendons and ligaments, and to establish a rhythm and breathing pattern that enhances performance over time.
Does it apply to longer sessions too?
This situation can partly be likened to Ramadan. In studies on fasting individuals, researchers show that a lengthy 15-minute warm-up negatively impacts anaerobic performance (30 sec Wingate) compared to a shorter 5-minute warm-up. This difference is only observed among participants during Ramadan, not before or after.
The findings can partly be applied to everyday scenarios such as early mornings after a night's fast, or if for some other reason you haven't eaten adequately before training. In these cases, a 5-minute warm-up is preferable to a 15-minute one for improving performance during intervals. This is likely because it helps avoid further tiring muscles that are already partially fatigued and energy-drained before starting intervals. Then we can debate whether you should even perform these intervals here, and our vote is on NO.