Exercise-Based Strategies from Warm-Up to Training: A Systematic Review of Performance Enhancement and Injury Prevention

Background: Targeted training interventions, including neuromuscular warm-up protocols, eccentric resistance training, and dynamic stretching exercises, with limited and heterogeneous evidence on recovery strategies, have shown potential benefits for muscle performance and reductions in injury risk. Objective: To synthesize and structure contemporary evidence on exercise-based interventions spanning the pre-activity warm-up through post-activity recovery, emphasizing performance outcomes, injury-related effects, reported dose–response patterns, and implementation characteristics. Methods: This systematic review with structured qualitative synthesis was based on a systematic database search and eligibility screening process (n = 40 studies). Studies evaluating exercise-based interventions targeting injury prevention and/or performance in athletes were included. Data extraction included study design, population characteristics, intervention components, outcomes, and risk-of-bias assessments, which were summarized using comparative tables and descriptive analyses. Due to heterogeneity, results were synthesized qualitatively without meta-analysis. Results: Neuromuscular warm-ups (e.g., FIFA 11+) were frequently linked to reduced reported lower-extremity injury risk, alongside improvements in sprint, jump, and balance performance. Eccentric hamstring training was linked in several studies to lower reported hamstring injury rates and increased eccentric strength and fascicle length, while dynamic warm-ups may acutely improve sprint and jump performance. Evidence regarding recovery modalities was heterogeneous, supporting a cautious and individualized emphasis on sleep, nutrition, and hydration. However, heterogeneity in study designs, outcome measures, and populations limits the comparability and generalizability of the findings. Conclusions: Exercise-based interventions, including neuromuscular warm-ups, eccentric strengthening, dynamic stretching, and progressive load and recovery strategies, may support performance enhancement and injury-risk reduction in youth and adult athletes when appropriately implemented, although interpretation is limited by study heterogeneity.