Acute Effects of Different Warm-Up Protocols on Jump Performance in Elite Male Italian Handball Players

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acute effects of three different warm-up protocols on jump performance in elite male handball players. Warming up with a traditional (TR) set of exercise was compared with balance (BA) and unbalanced (UN) activation protocols. Thirty-two male handball players (age 24.2 +/- 4.7 (m +/- SD) y, weight 84.4 +/- 8.5 kg, height 183.9 +/- 7.3 cm) from two Italian first division National championship teams completed the three warm-up protocols in three different occasions and performed three countermovement jumps each with a 3 min rest. The jump height was evaluated from flight time. The players jumped an average of 40.7 +/- 4.8 cm, 42.4 +/- 4.9 cm, and 42.5 +/- 5.0 cm in TR, BA, and UN conditions, respectively. A significant main effect (p < 0.001; eta(2) = 0.812) between the warm-up protocols for jump height was detected. A post hoc analysis showed that athletes performed significantly higher jumps under BA (p < 0.001) and UN (p < 0.001) conditions compared to performing a TR warm-up protocol. In conclusion, both BA and UN warm-up protocols induced significantly higher jump heights in elite male Italian handball players, compared to the traditional warm-up routine. The use of dynamic activation exercises enhance the neuromuscular properties of the warm-up compared to traditional protocols.