A warm-up, whether to get you ready for a training session or pre-race, is essential to prepare your body for the work ahead: both physically, and mentally. A good warm up will:

• Raise body temperature
• Activate key steps in energy metabolism
• Help to get you ‘in the zone’
• Allow you to make those last minute equipment checks

The length of an ideal warm-up is dependent on the event duration. Generally, the shorter race, the longer the warm-up. So, an all out hill climb (which requires alot of anaerobic effort) will need a longer warm-up than for a 50 mile time trial (where you can raise the effort over the race distance). As a ball park figure, for an event lasting an hour, go for around 30 minutes.

The type of warm-up is individual; being specific to the event, dependent on what you have done the day before, and other factors such as the weather, nutrition and mode (turbo vs on the road). However, make sure the following components are included:

• in your racing position
• a gradual increase in intensity
• make sure you do some race pace efforts
• arrive at the line warm, if not sweating!

You'll find more detailed advice on warm-up in our PBscience factsheet series.