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Abstract

Markerless motion capture systems, such as DARI ®, are commonly used to assess movement quality and performance in athletic and return-to-play settings. These assessments are often conducted without a standardized warm-up, potentially influencing neuromuscular readiness and performance outcomes. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a standardized dynamic warm-up on DARI ® performance scores and variables compared to a no warm-up condition. METHODS: Twenty-nine college students (18-35 years) completed two DARI motion analysis sessions using randomized crossover design: one session without a warm-up (CON) and one session following a 9 min standardized dynamic warm-up (WU). The warm-up consisted of whole-body dynamic movements targeting upper and lower extremities. Outcome measures included DARI quality score, performance score, overall score, bilateral and unilateral vertical jump height, rate of force development (RFD), power output, and squat depth variables. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare conditions, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Paired-samples t-tests revealed significantly greater performance scores (t(28) = 2.73, p = .011), vertical jump height (t(28) = 3.78, p = .001), vertical jump power max (t(28) = 2.10, p = .045), left unilateral squat depth (t(28) = 2.34, p = .027), and left unilateral vertical jump RFD (t(28) = 2.73, p = .011). No significant differences were found for quality score, overall score, overhead squat depth, bilateral vertical RFD, or most unilateral jump height and power measures (p > 0.05), when comparing WU to CON conditions. CONCLUSION: A standardized dynamic warm-up resulted in significant improvements in select DARI performance and power-related variables, particularly measures related to jump performance and unilateral force production. These findings suggest that enhanced neuromuscular readiness following a dynamic warm-up may positively influence explosive and unilateral performance outcomes captured by DARI, while movement quality measures remain largely unaffected. Implementing a dynamic warm-up, that may emphasize muscle activation and potentiation prior to assessment, may help optimize performance scores and improve the consistency of DARI outcomes in athletic and return-to-play settings.

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