Warm-Up Strategies at Halftime: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial in a Professional Women's Soccer Team.

Abstract

Objectives: We compared the effects of two active re-warm-up protocols applied during halftime's last three minutes, after a warm-up, testing, and a simulated first-half match. Methods: Twenty-two professional players from a first Portuguese division club were randomized into two re-warm-up protocols during a simulated match interval: (i) a strength, plyometrics, and balance protocol (SPBP); and (ii) a soccer-specific protocol (SSP). Players were assessed for a 20-m linear sprint and countermovement jump (CMJ) after the warm-up and the re-warm-up. Descriptive statistics and mixed ANOVA were performed, with effect size assessed using partial eta-squared. The Acute Readiness Monitoring Scale (ARMS) questionnaire was administered after the simulated match and re-warm-up and was analyzed using a multifactorial ANOVA. Results: No significant interaction effects were observed (p > 0.05). Comparing pre-match to post-re-warm-up, there was a slight decrease in sprint (significant) and jump performance (non-significant). Additionally, there were no between-protocol differences in perceived readiness (ARMS). Conclusions: After the three-minute re-warm-up protocols, similar results were observed in the 20-m sprint performance, CMJ, and perceived readiness when comparing SPBP and SSP. These re-warm-up protocols (SPBP and SSP) are practical to implement within a 3-min time window, and, given their apparent lack of differences, players' preferences could be considered. However, the SSP is currently subject to restrictions that limit teams' access to the field during this period. Future research should compare active re-warm-up protocols with passive controls to more clearly assess their effectiveness.