Acute effects of different warm-up methods on free kick performance in amputee soccer players

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There are studies documenting the detrimental effects of static stretching and useful effects of dynamic exercises. However, there is no study which has researched the acute effects of different warm-up exercises on free kick performances in amputee soccer. The purpose of this study was to compare the acute effects of static stretching and dynamic warm-up exercise on free kick performance in amputee soccer players. METHODS: Twelve amputee soccer players playing for the national team (mean age 28+7 years) were investigated in our study. This study was designed to determine the acute effects of 3 different warm-up (WU) methods static stretching (SS), dynamic exercises (DYN) and control (NS) on anaerobic performance (free kick speed performance) RESULTS: Although significant differences (P<0.001) were found for DYN and NS when the free kick speed levels of the soccer players were compared pre and post-test; no obvious difference (P>0.05) was found for SS. The data shows that there is a significant increase in free kick speed for DYN and NS according to pre and post-tests results. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study suggest that it may be desirable for amputee soccer players to perform dynamic exercises before performing activities that require a high power output.