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Re-Warm-Up Strategies for Non-Starters in Basketball: What Works Best?

Basketball games demand high-intensity efforts—sprinting, jumping, and quick directional changes.

While starters get right into action after their warm-up, non-starters can sit for extended periods before being subbed in.

This downtime can lead to decreased muscle temperature and impaired performance.

This study examined how different re-warm-up (R-WU) strategies help non-starters maintain peak performance before they enter the game.

The right strategy could mean the difference between making a game-changing impact or struggling to keep up.

How do different re-warm-up strategies affect the physical performance of non-starter female basketball players after a period of inactivity?

Study: Examining the impact of different re-warm-up strategies on non-starter basketball players' physical performance​

What did the researchers do?

Study Design

A randomized crossover study where 15 elite female U17 basketball players (age: 16.7 ± 0.6 years) each completed four different re-warm-up protocols across four weeks.

• No Re-Warm-Up (CON) → Players sat passively for 15 minutes.
• Plyometric Re-Warm-Up (PLY) → A mix of skipping, multi-jumps, and Abalakov jumps.
• Dynamic Stretching (DYN) → Movements like high knees, lunges, and leg swings.
• Towel-Wrapping (TOW) → Passive heat maintenance by covering the head and legs.

Testing Methods

Performance was tested immediately after the standard warm-up and after the 15-minute re-warm-up protocol.

• Countermovement Jump (CMJ) → measures lower-body power.
• Drop Jump (DJ) → assesses reactive strength and explosive power.
• 5-0-5 Change of Direction Test (CODs) → evaluates agility and speed.

What were the results?

No Re-Warmup

No Re-Warm-Up (CON) led to performance declines across the board.

• CMJ and DJ height dropped significantly (p < 0.001).
• CODs slowed down (p = 0.019).

Plyometrics Re-Warmup

Plyometric Re-Warm-Up (PLY) was the best strategy.

• Maintained CMJ, DJ, and CODs performance (p > 0.05).
• Outperformed all other protocols for maintaining jump height.

Dynamic Stretching (DYN) & Towel-Wrapping (TOW)

Dynamic Stretching (DYN) & Towel-Wrapping (TOW) had mixed results.

• Maintained DJ and CODs but resulted in a decline in CMJ (p < 0.001).
• Dynamic stretching likely helped preserve agility, while towel-wrapping may have reduced heat loss but lacked active muscle stimulation.

CMJ Results

Drop Jump Results

5-0-5 Change of Direction Results

What does this mean?

Bench time hurts performance.

• Sitting for 15 minutes without activity significantly reduces power output and agility.

Plyometrics are your best bet.

• Quick, explosive movements before entering the game can help non-starters maintain their performance.

Dynamic stretching is helpful but not enough.

• While it helps preserve some movement quality, it doesn’t maintain jump height as well as plyometrics.

Passive heat maintenance isn’t sufficient alone.

• Keeping warm with towels helps but needs to be paired with movement for best results.

Limitations

• The study focused only on female adolescent basketball players.
• The 15-minute re-warm-up period may not fully simulate real game conditions, where players could sit for longer.
• Other performance aspects, like shooting accuracy or in-game decision-making, weren’t measured.

Coach's Takeaway

• Have a structured re-warm-up plan for non-starters to keep them ready.
• Prioritize plyometrics over passive heat maintenance.
• Use dynamic stretching as a supplement, not a standalone strategy.
• Monitor player responses to different re-warm-up methods to tailor approaches based on individual needs.

I hope this was helpful.

Ramsey

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