Cognitive effect of 7-min re-warm-up after half-time in under-16 soccer players

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

Background: A review of the literature indicates that the physical performance of soccer players declines during the early minutes of the second half. However, incorporating re-warm-up (RWU) strategies has proven to significantly boost their performance during this critical period. Objective: The present study aimed to examine the acute effects of a re-warm-up on cognition, as reflected in the Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT). Methods: Twenty-two male under-16 soccer players from a non-professional team in Andalusia, Spain, successfully completed the study. These players were divided into two parallel groups: a control group and an experimental group. The young soccer players were evaluated using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test to obtain VO2max. Additionally, heart rate was monitored with a heart rate monitor, and PVT was assessed using a mobile application. Results: A t-test was used to analyze heart rate and PVT data over a 5-min period. The results showed that soccer players responded faster after performing a RWU (315.82 ± 32.31 ms) than the control group after traditional rest (350.59 ± 50.23 ms), p = .001, d = -0.58. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that a 7-min RWU after half-time improves reaction time. The findings offer valuable insights that soccer coaching staff can utilize to enhance their team's performance.