INFLUENCE OF DURATION AND INTENSITY OF WARM-UP SESSIONS ON THE PERFORMACE AMONG SHORT DISTANCE SWIMMERS

Goran Dimitriã, Miroslav Smajiã and Ðorðe Agbaba, Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Serbia


Abstract

It is well established that warm-up sessions are very important and essential part of every
swimming competition. There is much evidence which tells how strong the influence of these
sessions on swimming performance is. Although there are many suggestions about content of
warm-up sessions in swimming, their duration and intensity, there are no clear conclusions about
all segments of warm-up. Because of that many researchers tried to reveal how good warm-up
sessions should look like. In this study 8 male and 4 female competitive swimmers aged 19 to 26
were tested. They were asked to swim three different warm-up sessions followed by 100 meters
performance with maximal intensity. Before trial number 1 they performed long duration warmup
session, before trial 2 short duration warm-up session and before trial 3 they were asked to
perform warm-up session with high intensity. The recovery time between each warm-up session
and the performance was 5 minutes and during these 5 minutes. ANOVA with Repeated
Measures was used to test the differences in the performance that swimmers achieved after three
different warm up sessions. Statistical significance was set at p<0.05. The results showed that
there was not significant difference in the performance after long duration and short duration
warm-up sessions (p=1). On the other hand the difference in the performance on the trial 1 and
trial 3 was significant (p=.02). Furthermore, the difference between trial 2 and trial 3 was
significant as well (p=.03). Duration of the warm up session did not have significant influence on
the performance. On the other hand, the results showed that the intensity of the warm-up has big
influence on the performance. High intense warm-up without appropriate recover can cause drop
in the result. More research needs to be done on this topic with many different conditions.

Keywords: swimming, warm-up, duration, intensity, performance



References
Bishop, D. (2003). Warm up II: Performance changes following active warm up and how to
structure the warm up. Sports Medicine, 33(7), 483-498.
Chwalbinska-Moneta, J., & Hanninen, O. (1989). Effects of active warm-up on
thermoregulatory, circulatory, and metabolic responses to incremental exercise in
endurance-trained athletes. International Journal of Spots Medicine, 10(1), 25-29.
Colwin, C. M. (1992). Swimming Into the 21st Century. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetic.
Ferguson, C., Whipp, B. J., Cathcart, A. J., Rossiter, H. B., Turner, A. P., & Ward, S. A. (2007).
Effects of prior very-heavy intensity exercise on indices of aerobic function and highintensity
exercise tolerance. Journal of Applied Physiology, 103, 812-822.
Fratriã, F. (2006). Teorija i metodika sportskog treninga. [Theory and Methodics of Sport
Training]. Novi Sad: Pokrajinski zavod za sport.
Genovely, H., & Stanford, B. A. (1982). Effects of prolonged warm-up above and below the
anaerobic threshold on maximal performance. European Journal of Applied Physiology,
28, 323-330.
Guthrie, E. R. (1952). The Psychology of Learning. New York: Harper and Row.
Harris, J., & Elbourn, J. (2002). Warming Up and Cooling Down. Champaign, IL: Human
Kinetic.
Hoffman, J. (2002). Physiological Aspects of Sport Training and Performance. Champaign, IL:
Human Kinetic.
Houmard, J. A., Johns, R. A., Smith, L. L., Wells, J. M., Kobe, R. W., & McGoogan, S. A.
(1991). The effects of warm-up responses to intense exercise. International Journal of
Sports Medicine, 12, 480-483.
Leonard, J. (1992). Science of Coaching: Swimming. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetic.
Lewin, G. (1979). Swimming. Berlin: Sportverlag.
Maglischo, E. W. (2003). Swimming Fastest: The essential reference on technique, training, and
program design. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetic.
Palmer, C. D., Jones, A. M., Kennedy, G. J., & Cotter, J. D. (2009). Effects of prior heavy
exercise on energy supply and 4000m cycling performance. Medicine Science and Sports
Exercise, 41, 221-229.
Romney, N. C., & Nethery, V. M. (1993). The effect of swimming and dryland warm-ups on
100-yard freestyle performance in collegiate swimmers. Journal of Swimming Research,
9, 5-9.
Robergs, R. A., Costill, D. L., Fink, W. J., Williams, C., Pascoe, D. D., Chwalbinska-Moneta, J.,
et al. (1990). Effects of warm-up on blood gases, lactate and acid-base status during
sprint swimming. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 11(4), 273-278.
Spielberger, C. S. (1972). Anxiety: Current Trends in Theory and Research. New York:
Academic Press.
Vanhatalo, A., & Jones, A. M. (2009). Influence of prior sprint exercise on the parameters of the
all-out critical power test in men. Exercise Physiology, 94, 255-263.
Vickers, J. N. (2007). Perception, Cognition, and Decision Training. Champaign, IL: Human
Kinetic.
Influence of warm up sessions on swimmers’ performance
Volèanšek, B. (2002). Bit plivanja. [The Essence of Swimming]. Zagreb: Kineziološki fakultet
Sveuèilišta u Zagrebu.
Wilkerson, D. P., Koppo, K., Barstow, T. J., & Jones, A. M. (2004). Effect of prior multiple –
sprint exercise on pulmonary O2 uptake kinetics following the onset of perimaximal
exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 97, 1227-1236.
Wright, V., & Johns, R. J. (1960). Physical factor concerned with the stiffness of normal and
diseased joints. Bulletin of Johns Hopkins Hospital, 106, 215-231.