Athletes engage in training programs that develop physical and physiological attributes to improve performance over time. However, ensuring athletes are optimally prepared just before competition is also of utmost importance. Indeed, such approaches may often adopt 1 or more strategies in the days, hours, and minutes preceding competition, including exercise priming, active warmup, and/or postactivation performance enhancing (PAPE) activities. Despite a plethora of discrete research, such information seems poorly synthesized, making it difficult for coaches and athletes to implement optimal evidence based physical preparation approaches in many sporting contexts. This article aims to provide a scoping overview of evidence, facilitate discussion, and where possible, propose practical exercise based recommendations that may be useful leading up to (~48 hours–~1 minute) tasks with a short or prolonged endurance component or requiring repeated intermittent efforts (e.g., team based field sports). Well-timed and –designed activities can facilitate several aspects of physical performance, potentially improve athletes’ psychological state(s) and mental preparedness. The benefits of a warm-up are most well documented, but priming and PAPE strategies also warrant consideration. It is intended that the evidence and suggestions presented will be useful for strength and conditioning professionals preparing athletes for competition.

The research reviewed in this article provides a baseline snapshot of clinically-relevant tools to screen, diagnose, and provide treatment that can improve behavior surrounding sleep, as well as quantity and quality of sleep in occupational firefighters.

This article examines how strength and conditioning coaches can successfully transition into tactical environments by building trust, understanding military demands, and creating sustainable training systems. Visit NSCA online for more evidence-based research on tactical performance and readiness.

The Private Sector Coach of the Year Award, previously known as the Personal Trainer of the Year Award, recognizes an NSCA-certified professional working in the private sector who demonstrates exceptional impact in client outcomes, application of evidence-based practices, advocacy for the strength and conditioning profession, and significant contributions to the NSCA.

Discover how the NSCA Education Recognition Program (ERP) provides the path from classroom excellence to career success in the strength and conditioning field.

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This PTQ article discusses current research examining the relationship between training volume and muscle hypertrophy and provides guidelines for optimizing training outcomes. Visit NSCA online to read more on exercise science and sport performance.

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Join the 2026 NSCA Personal Trainers Virtual Conference (PTCon) online October 27–30 for flexible continuing education, evidence-based strategies, and 2.0 CEUs.