Priming strategies to enhance sprint performance in highly trained athletes across sports: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Priming strategies have been proposed as a practical approach to acutely enhance neuromuscular readiness and improve speed- and power-related performance in athletes. This systematic review and metaanalysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different priming protocols on sprint performance in highly trained athletes across sports. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, Medline, Science Citation Index Expanded, and Embase databases up to February 26, 2026. Randomized studies investigating the sub-acute effects (≥ 5-48 h) of priming interventions on linear sprint performance in competitive athletes were included. Fifteen studies comprising 262 athletes were analyzed. A random-effects model was used to calculate standardized mean differences (SMD). Overall, priming interventions significantly improved sprint performance (SMD = 0.40; 95% confidence interval: 0.22-0.59; p < 0.001) with low heterogeneity (I² = 5%). Subgroup analysis revealed significant improvements when priming sessions were performed ≤ 8 hours before performance testing, whereas no significant effects were observed for longer intervals (≥ 20 h). No significant differences were detected between subgroups. These findings indicate that low-volume, high-intensity priming strategies (i.e., light-to-heavy load traditional and ballistic resistance exercises) may represent an effective approach to acutely enhance sprint performance in highly trained athletes across sports.