Local passive warming administered during the transition period improves vertical jump performance but not Wingate anaerobic performance

BACKGROUND: A warm-up (WU) exercises boost performance during a subsequent exercise. However, the physiological benefits obtained from performing a prior warm-up exercise may be lost during the transition phase as muscle temperature declines. We examined the effects of the administration of local passive warming (LPW) during the transition phase on lower body power output, as assessed by countermovement jump (CMJ) and Wingate anaerobic tests (WAnT). METHODS: We performed a randomized crossover design experiment (N.=10). Following a 10-min warm-up exercise, the subjects either (1) rested in a sitting position (CON), (2) performed a standardized WU exercise, or (3) underwent an LPW using customized water-perfused pads on the quadriceps and hamstrings for 15 min. The subjects then performed a CMJ and a standardized 30-sec WAnT. RESULTS: CMJ height was higher in the LPW and WU relative to the CON (P=0.0142 and 0.0171, respectively) while no difference was found between the WU and LPW (P=0.2530). The knee angular peak velocity and acceleration of the concentric contraction during the CMJ was higher in the LPW and WU as compared to the CON (P<0.05 for all). However, the average power during the WAnT was reduced in the LPW relative to the WU (P=0.0096). Further analysis revealed that the initial power decline (P=0.0271) in the LPW partly explained the lower power used during the WAnT. CONCLUSIONS: LPW improved CMJ performance but showed no positive effect on WAnT. LPW may provide differentiated performance benefits depending on the types of exercise that follows.