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The science behind the warmup,new research explains how light movement before your workout preps your muscles for running

Most runners do at least a short, easy jog before any race, interval workout or other higher-intensity session. It’s widely accepted as being a beneficial, indeed a necessary, prelude to a hard session, but what exactly is happening in your body during your warmup, and how does it benefit your performance? New research has uncovered the answer.

The study, published in the Journal of General Physiology, was led by Osaka University, The Jikei University School of Medicine and National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology. The specifics of how it enhances muscle performance had not previously been clearly understood; this study aimed to uncover the effects of heating on muscle contraction and explore whether different muscles have varying temperature sensitivities.

The study

The research team discovered that muscle cells contain certain proteins that act as temperature sensors. They found that skeletal muscles, which are responsible for movement, were more sensitive to heating than the muscles of the heart, for example. This greater sensitivity allows skeletal muscles to contract quickly and efficiently when warmed up, even from slight increases in temperature resulting from light movement, such as a warmup jog. 

On the other hand, the muscles of the heart have a lower temperature sensitivity, which helps them maintain a continuous beat, regardless of temperature. This makes sense, because while your muscles have the opportunity to rest when you’re not using them, your heart needs to beat continuously no matter how hot or cold you are. In other words, a slight increase in temperature benefits your skeletal muscles, but has relatively little effect on your heart.

What does this mean for runners?

The findings suggest that warming up skeletal muscles can enhance their efficiency by saving energy and allowing for better rest when not in use. 

Of course, is that there’s a fine line between warming up well and over-taxing your muscles before your workout or race. How much or how little you warm up will depend on several factors, including the length of your run or race. (In general, the shorter the race or workout, the faster you must run, and therefore the longer you should spend warming up.) Another factor is the temperature outside–you likely don’t need to warm up for as long when it’s 30 C outside as when it’s 5 C.

The warmup does not have to complicated. In most cases, a light, 10-minute jog and some simple warmup drills are all you need to be ready to run at your best.