A warm-up (WU) routine in team-sports and competition has been suggested to be critical in increasing the preparation for subsequent effort, performance relevant to team-sports (e.g., agility, reactive, and sprint performance), and thus injury prevention [1], [2]. Professional soccer players before a match perform the warm-up regime. Moreover, the re-warm-up (R-WU) in some sport spatially before the second-half during 90-min soccer matches was addressed in many studies [3], [4], such that the results of Zois et al. (2013) study suggested that second-half performance in team-sports can be improved, or, at least second-half decrements in tasks reliant on power attenuated, via a 5RM re-warm-up [4].

The exact mechanisms and outcomes of various WU modes are still unclear. However, several studies have shown that mechanisms related to the WU methods [5], [6], [7] and R-WU strategies [8], [9] are considered helpful to performance. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that physiological mechanisms improve performance by WU and R-WU. Strategies like increase increased muscle temperature resulted in changes such as increased blood flow and optimized metabolic responses [5], [7], as well as increased post activated potentiation (PAP), and nerve conductance improved performance following WU [10].

Most studies have traditionally focused on the effects of WU and R-WU on physiological performance. However, less is known about the positive effects of WU and R-WU on brain structure. Engaging in regular exercise has many positive benefits on brain structure and function including increasing grey matter volume and white matter integrity, enhancing key neurotrophic factors and positively impacting intrinsic brain network neuroplasticity and connectivity [11]. In this regard, neurotrophins, such as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), glia cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT-3), and neurotrophin-4 (NT-4), have been suggested as key mediators of brain health benefits, as they are involved in neurogenesis, neuronal survival, and synaptic plasticity [12]. The central-executive network (CEN), and the default mode network (DMN) are two core neurocognitive systems that play a central role in cognitive and affective information processing [13], [14]. Furthermore, the attention network is the leading cognitive function critical for perception, language, and memory. There is evidence that demonstrated exercise is likely to improve the attention network's performance in adults [15], [16]. Previous studies have demonstrated that a single session of exercise results in changes in the brain's activity [17], [18]. Moraes et al. (2007) showed that a graded cycling test results in a significant absolute power increase at frontal and central areas, which might be related to increased cortical activation [17]. Furthermore, a meta-analysis reported that acute exercise improves cognitive performance [19].

Interestingly, several studies have demonstrated that developing creativity and generating original and unexpected solutions in soccer decision-making situations is highly discussed for soccer players at all levels [20], [21]. In the soccer competition, it is essential to focus on specific factors of the soccer scene, the anticipation of the behavior of other players, and detection of task-relevant memory content. Previous studies demonstrated aspects of creativity such as attention, memory, motor imagery, cognition in a soccer game as essential factors for success in soccer performance, as well as skillful performance in soccer requires not only a precise technique but also quick and accurate decision-making and analysis hard and different positions [21], [22].

Based on prior studies, performing a WU and an R-WU program improves physiological and mental performances in soccer players. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the effect of the R-WU exercise on the brain network functional and soccer performance.