Page 120 - Safe Wrestling

Marina Dobnik, Rok Vatovec, and Matej Plevnik

related variables, including balance, strength, and neuromuscular con-
trol (Bizzini & Dvorak, 2015). Importantly, the relevance of this type of
structured warm-up extends beyond football because it targets neuro-
muscular qualities transferable to many high-intensity, contact-based,
and change-of-direction sports.
Dynamic warm-up plays an important role in injury prevention be-
cause it prepares the athlete for the mechanical and physiological de-
mands typical of both training and competition. When designing pre-
ventive warm-up routines, emphasis is generally placed on components
such as agility, plyometrics, strength, trunk stabilisation, and balance,
with particular attention directed towards ensuring that selected exer-
cises closely replicate sport-specific movement demands (Sadigursky et
al., 2017).
Drawing on experiences from team sports, such as FIFA 11+, targeted
preventive programmes have also been developed specifically for com-
bat sports. These programmes attempt to combine evidence-based prin-
ciples of dynamic warm-up with the distinct technical and biomechan-
ical demands of individual combat disciplines. However, the content of
preventive warm-ups must be adapted to the dominant injury mecha-
nisms and movement requirements of each discipline. Because combat
sports differ considerably in their technical structure, preventive proto-
cols are often broadly divided into programmes designed for grappling
disciplines (e.g., throws, gripping exchanges, and groundwork) and those
intended for standing or striking disciplines (e.g., striking combinations,
jumps, and rapid directional changes).
Among the most widely recognised programmes for grappling sports is
Wrestling Plus, developed by United World Wrestling. The programme is
organised into three components (general warm-up, strengthening/sta-
bilisation exercises, and simulation drills) and is designed as an approxi-
mately 20-minute preventive warm-up protocol (Gioftsidou et al., 2015).
In addition, the IPPON (Injury Prevention and Performance Optimiza-
tion Netherlands) programme has been systematically developed for ju-
do. IPPON is a coach-led warm-up protocol consisting of 36 exercises
primarily aimed at preventing shoulder, knee, and ankle injuries (von
Gerhardt et al., 2020). In a randomised controlled trial, the programme
did not significantly reduce overall injury prevalence; however, the au-
thors reported favourable feasibility, adherence, and positive experiences
among both coaches and athletes, findings that are highly relevant from
an implementation perspective (von Gerhardt et al., 2023).

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