Acute effects of different warm-up protocols on 50 meter freestyle swimming performance in junior category swimmers

The purpose of this study was to investigate the acute effects of different warm-up protocols on 50-meter freestyle swimming performance in licensed junior swimmers. A total of 26 swimmers (12 females and 14 males), born between 2012 and 2014, who regularly participated in swimming training and had at least five years of swimming experience, voluntarily participated in the study. A randomized crossover experimental design was employed. All participants completed four different experimental conditions: placebo, dynamic warm-up, swimming-specific warm-up, and combined warm-up. Following each protocol, a 2-minute passive recovery period was provided, after which the swimmers performed a maximal 50-meter freestyle swim. Swimming time, stroke count, and heart rate variables were evaluated. Data were analyzed using Repeated Measures Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and Bonferroni post-hoc tests. The findings revealed that different warm-up protocols had significant effects on 50-meter swimming performance. In particular, swimming times achieved following the combined warm-up protocol were significantly better compared to the other protocols. In addition, the combined warm-up protocol resulted in significantly higher heart rate values. Significant differences were also observed in stroke count, with the highest values recorded after the combined warm-up condition. However, no significant differences in performance were found among the placebo, dynamic warm-up, and swimming-specific warm-up protocols. In conclusion, the combined warm-up protocol, which integrates both land-based and water-based exercises, appears to be a more effective method for enhancing sprint performance in junior swimmers. The findings of this study may provide valuable information for coaches and sport scientists when planning pre-competition warm-up strategies.