Author(s): FIAUD, V., SHIM, A., Institution: WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY, Country: UNITED STATES, Abstract-ID: 1625

INTRODUCTION:
Warm-up and strength training protocols are essential for injury prevention and enhancing athletic performance (1). Lower body power, a key determinant of athletic success, is commonly assessed using the counter-movement jump (CMJ) due to its reliability and practicality (2). The counter movement jump was proposed as a potential method to estimate 1RM, which could improve training efficiency and monitoring (3). Because time management is critical in athletic settings, identifying the most efficient warm-up duration is important to optimize readiness without inducing fatigue. The Just Jump® (JJ) contact mat, while affordable, tends to overestimate jump height (4,5); therefore, a correction factor was applied to ensure measurement validity (6). This study aimed to determine the effects of two different treadmill running distances (one-mile vs. two-mile) on CMJ height in college-age men, building upon previous research conducted on female populations.
METHODS:
Ten healthy, college-aged men (24.3 ± 5.4 years, 71.2 ± 3.5 inches tall, 91.15 ± 5.6 inches of standing reach) from a Southwest US university participated in two testing sessions a few days apart. Participants performed two running protocols on a treadmill (one-mile and two-mile) at set speeds (8min/mile for the 1-mile session and 20 min/mile for the 2-mile session), with maximum CMJ height recorded pre- and post-run using a Just Jump® mat. The participants were instructed to put their hands on their hips and attempt to reach the maximum height for each jump. The legs remained fully extended during the jump and any jump were the landing was outside of the mat were discarded. A total of 10 jumps per session was recorded, 5 pre-run and 5 post-run jumps. Data were analyzed using paired-sample t-tests to compare pre- and post-run performance, and independent t-tests to compare the two distances.
RESULTS:
Paired-sample t-tests revealed significant increases in jump height following the 1-mile run for the JJ® mat (t(9) = -2.62 , p < .05) as well as the 2-mile session (t(9) = -4.57 , p < .001). While significant differences were observed between pre- and post-run jumps for both the 1-mile and 2-mile protocols, independent t-tests showed no statistically significant differences between the post-run jump heights of the two distances (1-mile: t(9) = -4.60 , p = .66 & 2-mile: t(9) = -.994 , p = .35). Pre-test consistency across sessions supported testing reliability.
CONCLUSION:
These findings indicate that a one-mile run is sufficient to significantly enhance lower body power, with no additional benefit from a second mile. Coaches and trainers may consider shortening aerobic warm-ups to one mile to improve time efficiency while preserving energy and achieving optimal physiological readiness. Future research should examine shorter distances and varying intensities to determine optimal warm-up protocols.
1. Safran et al. (1988)
2. Vanegas et al. (2021)
3. Hou et al. (2025)
4. Minor (2023)
5. Pueo et al. (2017)
6. McMahon et al. (2016)