Sport Science HEIDI THIBERT
The Importance of Warming-up Before Going on the Ice By Benoit Duboscq
W
e all know that figure skating is a very challenging sport that requires physical and technical skills. As a result, it is very important to prepare the body before going on the ice. Interestingly, the word triple jump is also used in track and field, when the athlete has to land repeatedly on one leg during their training. To my knowledge, there is no sport other than figure skating and track and field when the athlete has to master landing on one leg. Figure skating requires speed, power, flexibility, fine motor coordination, and aerobic/anaerobic capacities. As a result, it can be very challenging to perform if the athlete’s body is not prepared to train at the maximum potential. When I was the assistant athletic trainer at a sports medicine clinic working with a team of doctors and physical therapists, Michelle Kwan, Evan Lysacek, Timothy Goebel and many other elite skaters were coming to get treatments and train with us. I remembered that our main goal was to educate the athletes and to find ways to prevent injuries. As a trainer, I soon realized that the warm-up was one of the most important components of training to prevent injuries and improving skating performance. It was always hard to see the athletes missing days, weeks, and months of training due to preventable injury. It should be noted that a well executed warm-up plays a role not only in preventing on-ice impact injuries, but also facilitates recovery. A good warm-up assures that the athlete has reached an optimal mental and physical state to perform on the ice, which in turn, guarantees more effective restoration processes between the training sessions. In other words, the higher the performance level, the quicker the athletes will recover.
has been suggested by many sports scientists, physical therapists, and athletic trainers as the main technique of stretching in the preparation of high speed sports and power activities like figure skating. While dynamic stretching is recommended as the main technique of stretching before high speed sports, it is important to note that a warm-up which utilizes static stretching would make an athlete stop and sit before going on the ice in which may result in decreased body temperature which is not ideal before jumping. Too much passive stretching (with the help of a partner, stretch bands, or mechanical devices) or static stretching during the warm-up might not only increase the potential of injuries, but also decrease speed and power which will have negative effects on on-ice jumps and sports performance. What are the benefits of an “active” warm up? • To prevent impact related injuries and muscle strains • To prepare your muscles for optimum jumping
efficiency
• To help your body to recover faster for the next training
session or competition
• An increase in blood supply • Optimal mental and physical state to perform the
programs
• Muscles respond more quickly and powerfully • To improve range of motion, decrease muscle soreness,
and relieve joint stress
• To improve jumping performance • Muscle stiffness is reduced
What type of stretching is safe during the warm-up? Since the primary aims of the warm-up are to decrease the possibility of injury and to achieve the highest level of performance on the ice, the chosen method of warm-up should best prepare the athlete during skating sessions. Dynamic stretching (butt kick, skipping, high knee run, carioca, etc.)
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MARCH | APRIL 2013
When should skaters perform static stretches? Static stretching is controlled, passive movement taken to the point of first resistance; once the tissue barrier is identified, the elongated muscle group is held for at least 30 seconds. This form of stretching is considered low risk due to the low