You see them again and again: athletes who prepare for their actual training with colorful mini bands, specific movement sequences, or small resistance exercises. The term “activation exercises” has long become a fixed part of many training plans. But what is actually behind this practice? Are such exercises truly useful – or just another fitness hype?

What does “muscle activation” actually mean?

Before we dive deeper, a quick look at the basics is worthwhile. Muscle activation describes the process in which our nervous system sends electrical impulses to the muscles, which then contract. This process happens automatically and very efficiently in healthy bodies. When we, for example, stand up, walk, or lift a dumbbell, our muscles activate at exactly the right moment – without us needing to think about it.

Many people believe that this activation must be “boosted” before training so that the muscles are better prepared for the load. But in healthy athletes who have no neurological impairments or injuries, this system already works very reliably. Additional gentle exercises usually change very little in this regard.

The common misconception: Activation is not the same as performance enhancement
Activation is often mistakenly confused with the so-called “Post-Activation Potentiation” (PAP). PAP is about achieving a short-term performance increase through a targeted, intensive pre-load – for example, in sprinters who do a few explosive squats before a competition. However, this type of performance enhancement is based on other mechanisms and has little to do with the popular light activation exercises using mini bands or resistance bands.

Light exercises with low intensity are, from a scientific perspective, only limitedly effective when it comes to producing maximum strength, fast muscle reactions, or a “better” activation for the subsequent training. But that does not mean they are fundamentally useless – it rather depends on who is doing them and in what context.

Is warming up not enough?
For healthy athletes, a well-planned warm-up is usually the better choice to prepare the body for upcoming loads. This includes, for example:
        •       light endurance training (e.g. easy jogging, cycling)
        •       dynamic movement exercises
        •       coordinative movements
        •       sport-specific elements such as jumps, changes of direction, or technical drills

Such warm-up programs ensure that the cardiovascular system, joints, tendons, ligaments, and also the muscles are optimally prepared for the upcoming load. The much-cited “activation” of the gluteal muscles, the rotator cuff, or other muscle groups happens automatically in the process, without isolated special exercises being necessary.

When activation exercises are truly useful
The great strength of activation exercises shows especially in physiotherapy or rehab training. Here the conditions are entirely different: after injuries, operations, or longer training breaks, many patients have difficulties performing certain movements in a targeted way again (such as lifting the arm over the head). In such cases, activation exercises help to carefully and controllably retrain this motor control.

An example from practice:
After a knee operation, it may be the case that the thigh muscle (quadriceps) only works weakly, because its activation via the nervous system does not occur physiologically (usually a protective mechanism meant to prevent the body from overloading too early, but which sometimes does not reset on its own). Here, simple activation exercises can help to gently restore the interaction between the nervous system and the musculature.

Also for back patients or after shoulder injuries, targeted activation exercises with light resistance, elastic bands, or one’s own body weight can help to consciously perceive muscles again and use them for stabilization. So that, in the end, this can again be controlled autonomously by the nervous system.

Conclusion: Not every trend is nonsense – but also no cure-all
Activation exercises are no magic – and also no miracle remedy. For the healthy recreational or competitive athlete, a well-structured warm-up is usually sufficient to prepare the musculature optimally for stress. In rehabilitation, on the other hand, such exercises are a valuable tool for relearning movement patterns and specifically rebuilding muscles.

As is so often the case in training: the context is what matters. Those who are unsure should best get advice from an experienced trainer or physiotherapist on when activation exercises make sense – and when it’s better to save time for more effective training.

Sources:

Blazevich, A. J., & Babault, N. (2019). Post-activation potentiation versus post-activation performance enhancement in humans: Historical perspective, underlying mechanisms, and current issues. Frontiers in Physiology, 10, Article 1359. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2019.01359

Buckthorpe, M., Stride, M., & Della Villa, F. (2019). Assessing and treating gluteus maximus weakness – a clinical commentary. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 14(4), 655–669. https://doi.org/10.26603/ijspt20190655

Duchateau, J., Semmler, J. G., & Enoka, R. M. (2006). Training adaptations in the behavior of human motor units. Journal of Applied Physiology, 101(6), 1766–1775. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00543.2006

Folland, J. P., & Williams, A. G. (2007). The adaptations to strength training: Morphological and neurological contributions to increased strength. Sports Medicine, 37(2), 145–168. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200737020-00004

Hart, J. M., Pietrosimone, B., Hertel, J., & Ingersoll, C. D. (2010). Quadriceps activation following knee injuries: A systematic review. Journal of Athletic Training, 45(1), 87–97. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-45.1.87

Hodson-Tole, E. F., & Wakeling, J. M. (2009). Motor unit recruitment for dynamic tasks: Current understanding and future directions. Journal of Comparative Physiology B, 179(1), 57–66. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-008-0289-1

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