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Can a high-intensity warm-up help you run a faster 5K? Here’s what the research say

Can a higher-intensity warm-up run improve your 5K race time?

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man running race outside
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Previous research shows the benefits of warming up before jumping into a workout. Researchers found that warming up improved performance across physical activities. Personally, I value a good warm-up and some stretching before I get started, especially if there’s a nice amount of cardio or weight training involved.

Can a more challenging warm-up boost your 5K performance? What’s the best way to warm up to help you cross that finish line? In an interesting study, researchers set off to find out.

The study

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In a study published in the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, researchers explored how a high-intensity warm-up protocol impacted 5000m performance in trained long-distance runners. The study involved 13 male runners who performed two 5000m timed trials. Before each trial, participants completed two different warm-ups:

  1. The high-intensity warm-up involved 1 x 500m run at 70% of the running intensity and 3 x 250 m at 100% of their running intensity. (A mix of fast runs at race pace).
  2. The low-intensity warm-up involved 1 x 500m run at 70% of the running intensity and 3 x 250m runs at 70% of the running intensity. (Slower, easier runs).
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Researchers calculated running intensities using results obtained in the Cooper test. They assessed physiological and metabolic responses and endurance running performance parameters using various methods, including blood lactate concentration and the Counter-Movement Jump (CMJ). They evaluated how high runners could jump to determine muscle readiness, how difficult the run felt, blood lactate levels to determine how much the body is working, and participants’ overall 5K performance time.

The results

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The results revealed the following:

  • Runners were slightly faster (about 6 seconds faster over 5km) after the high-intensity warm-up compared to the low-intensity warm-up. The total time for the 5000m run was lower using the high-intensity warm-up.
  • The high-intensity warm-up led to an improvement in pacing strategy during the time trial. Pacing strategy refers to how evenly they distribute their effort during the run.
  • The performance on the Counter Movement Jump was improved only when participants performed the high-intensity warm-up. In other words, their muscles seemed more activated after the high-intensity warm-up, which was shown by the improved jump test results.
  • The post-warm-up blood lactate concentration was significantly higher for the high-intensity warm-up, with similar results seen for the rate of perceived exertion. In other words, the high-intensity warm-up felt more challenging and caused higher lactate levels, meaning it taxed the body more.

The study authors concluded that a higher-intensity warm-up protocol can improve performance in the 5000 m race for trained endurance runners.

The takeaway

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More research is needed for long-distance runners, but this study shows that doing some short, fast warm-up runs before your 5K could help you perform slightly better and improve your pacing. In this study, the runners crossed that finish line just over 6 seconds faster. It’s also more demanding, so it’s best not to overdo it with your warm-ups and make sure you have enough energy for the race ahead.

Steph Green
Steph Green
Steph Green (Steph Zee) is a singer-songwriter and professional writer with over 12 years of experience in healthcare and… Read Full Bio
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