BACKGROUND: Warm-up techniques can be broadly categorized into two main categories: passive warm-up and active warm-up. Passive warm-up involves increasing muscle temperature (Tm) or core temperature (Tc) through external means. Various methods have b...
BACKGROUND: Warm-up techniques can be broadly categorized into two main categories: passive warm-up and active warm-up. Passive warm-up involves increasing muscle temperature (Tm) or core temperature (Tc) through external means. Various methods have been used, including hot showers or baths, saunas, thermal therapy, and heat pads. Passive heating allows for an increase in Tm or Tc achieved through active warm-up without depleting energy substrates. Active warm-up, on the other hand, involves engaging in physical activity and can elicit more metabolic and cardiovascular changes compared to passive warm-up. Typical examples of active warm-up include jogging, stretching, cycling, and swimming. The higher temperature in organisms has been reported to facilitate various exercise performances, leading to a focus on temperature-related mechanisms in the effectiveness of warm-up following reports. METHODS: Therefore, this study attempted to collect and update research data from PubMed, aiming to provide mechanisms for various warm-up methods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Passive warm-up may not enhance maximal force production but can improve dynamic force during short durations of less than 10 seconds. However, the changes in the force-velocity relationship due to an increase in Tm may not be fully utilized in dynamic short-term performance, such as vertical jumping and sprint cycling. Moreover, passive warm-up appears to have a greater effect on dynamic short-term performance at faster contraction velocities. While the mechanisms are not fully clear yet, passive warm-up has been shown to enhance intermediate performance (10 seconds to 5 minutes), but it may not improve long-term performance (over 5 minutes) and could potentially have a negative impact.