This study investigated the effects of preliminary exercise (warm-up) on glycogen degradation and energy metabolism during intense cycle ergometer exercise. After determination of VO2max, six male subjects were randomly assigned to perform warm-up (WU) and no warm-up (NWU) trials incorporating a 2 min standardized sprint ride (SR) at 120% of the power output attained at VO2max (POmax). Muscle biopsies and temperature (Tm) recordings were obtained from the vastus lateralis muscle. Tm was elevated above the resting level prior to the SR during the WU trial (37.7 +/- 0.1 vs 35.4 +/- 0.4 degrees C; P less than 0.05) and remained higher than the NWU trial after the SR (38.6 +/- 0.2 vs 37.1 +/- 0.4 degrees C; P less than 0.05). Similar trends existed for rectal temperature (Tr). The increases in Tm and Tr during the SR were both greater in the NWU trial (P less than 0.05). Muscle glycogen degradation was similar for the WU and NWU trials (30.8 +/- 3.7 vs 25.6 +/- 3.7 mmol.kg-1, respectively). When blood and muscle lactate concentrations after the SR were expressed relative to values before the SR, the WU trial resulted in a lower accumulation of blood lactate (6.5 +/- 0.9 vs 10.7 +/- 0.8 mEq.l-1; P less than 0.01) and muscle lactate (20.1 +/- 0.1 vs 23.4 +/- 2.2 mEq.kg-1 wet wt.; P less than 0.05). Furthermore, oxygen consumption during the 1st min of the SR was higher in the WU trial (2.3 +/- 0.2 vs 1.9 +/- 0.2 l.min-1; P less than 0.05).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)