Ward 1

Kamille Ward
Introduction

Statement of the Problem

In outdoor sports such as lacrosse, non-starting athletes often warm up with the team and

then rest on the bench in cold weather until entering the game.

Research Question

What are the Effects of an Extended Rest Period After a Warm-Up in Cold Conditions?

Hypothesis

Non-Starting Athletes will have a decrease in performance after a prolonged rest period in cold

conditions.

Purpose

The purpose of the study is to examine the effect of a warm-up, followed by a prolonged rest

period in a cold environment on power performance.

Methodology:

Subjects

30 female lacrosse players aged 18-22 years old

Type of Study

Experimental

Variables

Independent: prolonged rest period

Dependent: power performance

Methods

30 female lacrosse players ages 18 to 22 years old will complete 4 separate trials, with each trial

taking place on a separate day over a 3 week period during the beginning of their season which
Ward 2
Kamille Ward
takes place in the winter months. Each trial will consist of a warm up period of about 15 minutes

consisting of 5 minutes of moderate cycling and 10 minutes of dynamic stretching, a rest period

of 0, 10, or 20 minutes, and then a re-warm up of about 2 minutes consisting of running for 1

minute and stretching for 1 minute, immediately followed by physiological testing. The

physiological testing will consist of 3 maximum vertical jump trial with the best score recorded,

followed by a 30 second Wingate test. Trial 1 will be a control in a neutral thermally regulated

environment of 75 degrees Fahrenheit and Trial 2 will be a control in a cold environment of 32

degrees Fahrenheit. Trials 1 and 2 will consist of a rest period of 0 minutes for a control as well.

Trial 3 will serve as an experimental trial in the cold environment with a rest period of 10

minutes, while Trial 4 will be a experimental trial in the cold environment with a rest period of

20 minutes.

Confounding variables

Internal Body Temperature – in attempt to solve we could make the participants wear the same

outfits on testing days including sweatpants and sweatshirts.

Sickness – a participant could become sick with a cold or other illness, affecting their

performance to begin with.

Statistical Analysis

mean differences in power, t-tests, ANOVA

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths: focusing on a single team allows us to know that there are similar athletes

participating, relatively easy to analyze, findings can be generalized to a larger population

Weaknesses: relationship to games could not be completely accurate, someone may not perform

at their peak performance due to an outside variable.