Combined effects of 12-week yoga warm-up on athletic performance in male high school track and field athletes

Abstract

AbstractBackgroundPracticing yoga could improve balance and flexibility, but its positive significance as a long-term warm-up for formal training was uncertain. We hypothesized that practicing yoga during warm-up might positively affect balance, flexibility, and speed performance in male high school track and field athletes.MethodsOver a 12-week period, athletes in a yoga group (YG) (n=10) practiced yoga for 15 min 4 times a week during warm-up, while athletes in a dynamic stretching group (DSG) (n=10) practiced 15 min of dynamic stretching. Except for the warm-up activities, the training content of the two groups of students was the same. we tested performance indicators immediately before and after the intervention, including lower extremity flexibility test (right hip active flexion range), lower extremity balance test [using surface electromyography (sEMG) to measure right leg tibialis anterior (TA) activation during one-leg stance (OLS) with eyes closed], and speed performance test (100-meter and 800-meter tests).ResultsWe performed between-group and within-group comparisons for indicators of two groups by using SPSS (version 26.0). Within-group comparisons showed a significant improvement in flexibility (P=0.002) and balance (P=0.003) in YG, but no significant change in DSG, after the 12-week intervention. In addition, speed performance of both YG (100m, P=0.026; 800m, P=0.045) and DSG (100m, P=0.029; 800m, P=0.006) was significantly improved. Between-group comparison showed that YG had a significant advantage in 800m (P=0.045) and flexibility (P=0.031).ConclusionsThese data suggested that practicing yoga as a long-term warm-up could help male high school track and field athletes improve lower body flexibility and 800m speed. In addition, yoga had a certain positive effect on balance, but it was not significant overall.