Effects of various warm-up on sit-and-reach performance, explosive power, and sprint performance in collegiate track and field athletes

Effective warm-up routines are crucial for enhancing athletic performance and reducing the risk of injuries. Among various warm-up methods, foam rolling and dynamic stretching have gained popularity for their potential benefits on range of motion, explosive power, and speed. To investigate the effects of foam rolling combined with dynamic stretching on the performance of elite collegiate track and field athletes. Thirty open-category track and field athletes were selected as participants. All subjects completed three experiments using an intra-group design. Each experiment involved a different stretching scenario conducted randomly: dynamic stretching (DS), static stretching combined with dynamic stretching (SSCDS), and foam rolling combined with dynamic stretching (FRCDS). Immediately after completion of each stretching protocol, sit-and-reach performance, explosive power, and sprint performance were assessed. There was a minimum 48-hour interval between each experiment. Statistical analysis was conducted using repeated measures one-way ANOVA for comparison. If the F value showed significant differences, Bonferroni post-hoc comparisons were performed, with the significance level set at P < 0.05. The study found significant effects of different stretching interventions on sit-and-reach performance, standing long jump, vertical jump, and 30-meter sprint performance. The FRCDS condition consistently outperformed both DS and SSCDS in sit-and-reach performance (34.63 ± 11.49 cm vs. 30.33 ± 11.25 cm and 31.30 ± 11.21 cm), standing long jump (252.43 ± 38.09 cm vs. 247.50 ± 39.56 cm and 248.56 ± 38.34 cm), and vertical jump (41.54 ± 8.47 cm vs. 39.42 ± 8.28 cm and 39.85 ± 8.24 cm). In the 30-meter sprint, SSCDS was superior to DS (4.36 ± 0.42 s vs. 4.42 ± 0.47 s), while FRCDS outperformed both (4.25 ± 0.48 s). The results of this study suggest that foam rolling combined with dynamic stretching may acutely improve sit-and-reach performance, explosive power, and sprint performance in elite collegiate track and field athletes.