CONTEXT: Recent authors have not found substantial evidence to support the use of static stretching for improving performance, so interest in dynamic warm-up procedures has risen. Our findings may improve the understanding of the acute effects of different types of pre-exercise protocols on performance and may help clinicians develop effective warm-up protocols for sports practice and competition. OBJECTIVE: To examine the acute effects of 4 warm-up protocols with and without a weighted vest on anaerobic performance in female high school athletes. DESIGN: Randomized, counterbalanced, repeated-measures design. SETTING: High school fitness center. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen healthy high school female athletes (age 15.3 +/- 1.2 years, height 166.3 +/- 9.1 cm, mass 61.6 +/- 10.4 kg). INTERVENTION(S): After 5 minutes of jogging, subjects performed 4 randomly ordered warm-up protocols: (1) Five static stretches (2x30 seconds) (SS), (2) nine moderate-intensity to high-intensity dynamic exercises (DY), (3) the same 9 dynamic exercises performed with a vest weighted with 2% of body mass (DY2), and (4) the same 9 dynamic exercises performed with a vest weighted with 6% of body mass (DY6). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Vertical jump, long jump, seated medicine ball toss, and 10-yard sprint. RESULTS: Vertical jump performance was significantly greater after DY (41.3 +/- 5.4 cm) and DY2 (42.1 +/- 5.2 cm) compared with SS (37.1 +/- 5.1 cm), and long jump performance was significantly greater after DY2 (180.5 +/- 20.3 cm) compared with SS (160.4 +/- 20.8 cm) (p <= 0.05). No significant differences between trials were observed for the seated medicine ball toss or 10-yard sprint. CONCLUSIONS: A dynamic warm-up performed with a vest weighted with 2% of body mass may be the most effective warm-up protocol for enhancing jumping performance in high school female athletes.

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