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A targeted warm-up improves immediate performance in young basketball players.

  • Basketball Chair L'Alqueria del Basket
  • Marketing and Communication Service
  • February 19th, 2026
Image generated with artificial intelligence
Image generated with artificial intelligence

Main authors: Borja Ricart-Luna, Joaquín Calatayud, José Casaña, Fernando Domínguez-Navarro, Julio Galcerán-Ruiz, Joaquín López-Carrillo, Jorge Parra-Salinas, Blanca Mur-Gomar, Iván Chulvi-Medrano, Pedro Cotolí-Suárez.

In basketball, details make all the difference: a higher jump, a quicker reaction or a more precise change of direction can decide about the game. A warm-up is key to preparing the player, but not all the protocols have the same impact in immediate performance. 

The study developed in the Universitat de València, European University of Valencia (UEV) and  L’Alqueria LAB – Valencia Basket compared the effects of a particular warm-up for basketball with a general warm-up, evaluating its influence on the performance of highly trained young players.

 

Plan of the study

    

Thirty-four elite teenage players participated, randomly divided into two groups:

  • Specific-basketball warm-up: exercises designed to replicate real game movements (defensive displacements, direction changes, jumps, visual stimuli).

  • General warm-up: based in mobility, light running and dynamic stretching

After both protocols, three key variables for basketball performance were evaluated:

 

  • Vertical jump (Countermovement Jump – CMJ).

  • 20-meter sprint

  • Agility (Lane Agility Test - LAT)

 

Key findings

 

  • Vertical jump: the specific warming produced more noticeable improvements in jump height compared to the generic.

  • Sprint: the times at 20 m were better after specific warming, showing greater neuromuscular activation.

Overall, the study shows that sport-appropriate warming immediately improves key physical abilities for field performance.

 

Practical applications

 

  • Coaches: implementing warm-ups designed with technical basketball movements can enhance performance in training and games 

  • Physical trainers: Including cognitive and reaction stimuli along with physical exercises promotes the complete activation of the player.

  • Clubs: Opting for specific protocols instead of generic ones can make a difference in the training of young players

 

Conclusion: warm up like you play 

A specific warm-up for basketball not only prepares the body but also the mind for the real demands of the game. Compared to a general warm-up, it offers clear advantages in jumping, speed, and agility—three crucial components of athletic performance.

This work is part of the research line of the L’Alqueria Basketball Chair – Universitat de València, which seeks to translate science into the daily practice of players and coaches.

 

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