Background/Objectives: One of the pillars of optimal footballer performance is the gradual preparation of the body for physical exertion in terms of intensity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of a structured warm-up and cool-down program on flexibility, perceived fatigue, and injury prevention in young football players. Methods: Participants were 60 junior football players (U17), with a mean age of 16.5 ± 0.5 years, mean height of 172.5 ± 6.7 cm, and mean body mass of 70.2 ± 6.4 kg. The participants were assigned to experimental (EXP; n = 30) and control (CON; n = 30) groups during 8 mesocycles. A 4-week training stimulus was applied in parallel, consisting of an author-designed exercise routine with a profiled intensity (warm-up and cool-down parts) for the EXP group and standard exercises for the CON group. Selected variables (motor, endurance, injuries) were assessed before, during, and after the intervention. Additionally, the profile of selected correlations was analysed. Statistical analysis was performed using t-tests with a significance level set at p −0.50). A strong positive correlation was found between RPE and the number of injuries (rp > 0.60). Conclusions: The results demonstrate that the structured warm-up and cool-down program significantly improved flexibility, reduced perceived fatigue, and decreased injury occurrence in the participants.
Duda et al. (Mon,) studied this question.