New studies comparing different warm-up volumes show that the amount of work before a 100-metre race can have a relevant effect on physiological responses.
The ideal swimming warm-up depends on the distance, stroke, athlete type and competition situation.
Document the warm-up
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Coaches can gain valuable information by testing different routines in training and then comparing them with competition performance, subjective perception and physiological data.
A habit can therefore become an individually optimised part of race preparation.
Warm-up is part of race strategy
A swimming warm-up is often treated as an automatic routine before a race. In reality, it is the final training session before the start and should be designed just as deliberately.
The athlete needs to be physically activated, technically well prepared and mentally ready. Preparation must also avoid creating unnecessary fatigue before the race.
There is therefore little convincing reason to prescribe exactly the same programme to every swimmer.
A simple system for coaches
Coaches can compare different warm-up routines systematically. In addition to competition time and subjective feeling, heart rate or individual short test segments can also be documented.
The time between warm-up and the start is also important. An optimal warm-up can lose its effect if the athlete then sits still for 45 minutes.
In such situations, short activation exercises on land can help. The same rule applies here: anything that works well should be tested beforehand. Race day is not the right time for experiments.
SCIENTIFIC SOURCE
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41369551/