Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>This study compared the differences in acceleration and deceleration demands between three different warm‐up (WU) strategies (<jats:italic>Reaction speed</jats:italic> [exercises with reaction to a stimulus], <jats:italic>Run</jats:italic> [self‐paced running], and <jats:italic>Speed</jats:italic> [exercises such as shuttle running or circuits]) applied to highly trained soccer players. Nineteen players were monitored for 4 weeks using a 10 Hz Global Positioning System. Accelerations and decelerations magnitudes were classified as low (25%–50%), moderate (50%–75%), and high (>75%) intensities. Additionally, efforts were analyzed according to their respective starting speeds (<5, 5–10, 10–15, 15–20, 20–25, and >25 km h<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup>). Differences between WU strategies were estimated via paired mean differences along with effect sizes. The three WU strategies led to few efforts starting >15 km h<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> and high‐intensity efforts (<1 effort per minute). Players performed more high‐intensity accelerations during <jats:italic>Speed</jats:italic> than <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> (ES: 0.74 [90% CI: 0.21, 1.33]); more moderate‐intensity accelerations during <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> than <jats:italic>Run</jats:italic> (ES: 1.29 [90% CI: 0.72, 2.00]); more moderate‐intensity decelerations during <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> than <jats:italic>Run</jats:italic> (ES: 0.64 [90% CI: 0.04, 1.32]) and <jats:italic>Speed</jats:italic> (ES: 0.89 [90% CI: 0.37, 1.50]); more decelerations started at 20–25 km h<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> during <jats:italic>Speed</jats:italic> than <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> (ES: 0.81 [90% CI: 0.20, 1.49]) and <jats:italic>Run</jats:italic> (ES: 0.76 [90% CI: 0.42, 1.18]); and more decelerations started at >25 km h<jats:sup>−1</jats:sup> during Speed than <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> (ES: 3.57 [90% CI: 2.88, 4.58]). In conclusion, <jats:italic>Speed</jats:italic> elicited higher acceleration and deceleration demands than the <jats:italic>Reaction Speed</jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Run</jats:italic> WU strategies, and this should be considered when designing training sessions.</jats:p>