Name: Ravi Nayak
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-16, Issue-1 (Special Issue: March 2026)
Page Number: 149-152
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19183716

ABSTRACT
Sports injuries remain one of the major concerns in physical education and competitive
sports. Preventive strategies such as structured warm-up and cool-down exercises are widely recommended; however, their scientific evaluation in institutional sports settings requires further empirical investigation. The present study examined the role of structured warm-up and cool-down exercises in reducing injury incidence among college athletes. A quasiexperimental research design was adopted. A total of 120 college athletes (aged 18–23 years) from various sports disciplines were divided into an experimental group (n=60) and a control group (n=60). The experimental group followed a standardized 15-minute dynamic warm-up protocol and a 10-minute structured cool-down routine for 12 weeks, while the control group continued traditional unsupervised practices. Data were collected using injury surveillance records, flexibility tests (Sit-and-Reach), muscle soreness scale, and training attend