Introduction
Warm-up procedures before physical activity have long been used with the
intention of preparing athletes for subsequent strenuous exercise (Schilling,
2000; Mann and Jones, 1999). These procedures have been chosen by many
coaches because they have been assumed to reduce the risk of injury, improve
range of motion, decrease muscle soreness and have a positive effect on
performance (Alter, 1998; Ninos, 1995; Young and Elliott, 2001; Yamaguchi and
Ishii, 2005). These performance-related assumptions have recently been