Injury Profile in Professional Handball Players During 4 Consecutive Seasons According to Playing Positions: A Longitudinal Study

BACKGROUND

The injury profile of each playing position in handball is a key factor in being able to improve the injury risk management process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to longitudinally analyze the differences in professional handball players' injury profile according to their playing position (ie, goalkeeper, back, wing, and line).

HYPOTHESIS

Injury incidence and burden would be higher in back players compared with the other playing positions, while ligament and knee would be the most common injury type and location.

STUDY DESIGN

Prospective cohort design.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level 4.

METHODS

Sixty-eight male handball players belonging to the same professional team participated in this study over 4 consecutive seasons. Injury incidence and injury burden were recorded as well as the severity, type, and location following the International Olympic Committee consensus statement.

RESULTS

Although nonsignificant differences in injury incidence were found according to playing position (rate ratios [RRs] from 0.43 to 2.47; P > 0.05), back players reported the highest burden (60.65 absence days/1000 h; RR from 0.12 to 7.75;P < 0.05), with wing players showing a greater burden (54.29 absence days/1000 h; RR from 0.09 to 4.91; P < 0.05) in comparison with goalkeepers (12.19 absence days/1000 h) and line players (13.10 absence days/1000 h). Muscle/tendon injuries and sprains presented higher incidence and burden than other type of injuries, and a greater incidence and burden was reported for knee injuries in all playing positions.

CONCLUSION

The highest injury incidence and injury burden is in back players in professional handball.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study provides comprehensive information on the injury profile of professional handball players, which can be useful for strength and conditioning coaches when developing specific injury risk management programs.

Effects of Nutrition Education Interventions in Team Sport Players. A Systematic Review

Considering nutrition education interventions have been frequently implemented in team sport athletes and have shown promising results, this study aimed to summarize the effects of nutrition education interventions on eating habits, nutrition knowledge, body composition, and physical performance in team sport athletes. A systematic review was conducted using the following databases: PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science and SPORTDiscus. A total of 14 studies met the inclusion criteria for the review. The methodological quality of included studies was evaluated, and each study was assessed according to the analyzed variables (i.e., eating habits, nutrition knowledge, body composition, and physical performance). Most studies showed improvements in or maintenance of variables used to indicate eating habits, nutrition knowledge, and body composition. However, limited studies examined the effect of nutrition education interventions on physical performance, with existing studies demonstrating disparate results. These findings suggest implementation of nutrition education interventions in team sport athletes could be an effective strategy to improve their eating habits, nutrition knowledge, and body composition. Due to the heterogeneity across the included studies regarding sport modality, competition level, age, and sex of the athletes investigated, as well as the intervention type adopted (i.e., online or face-to-face), it is difficult to establish optimal nutrition education interventions for each analyzed variable.

Injury Profile of Male and Female Senior and Youth Handball Players: A Systematic Review

Handball is a team sport in which players are exposed to high physical conditioning requirements and several contacts and collisions, so they must face various musculoskeletal injuries throughout their career. The aim of this study was to summarize the characteristics of handball injuries both in training and in competition contexts, differentiating by gender and age. A systematic review was conducted and a total of 15 studies (33 cohorts) met the inclusion criteria. Higher injury incidence was reported during matches compared to training sessions in all groups (i.e., male and female senior and youth players), with male senior players presenting the greatest values. Lower extremities were more frequently injured, being contusions and sprains the most common type of injuries. Females reported more serious injuries than males, who presented a higher percentage of acute injuries caused by direct contact, while in female players these injuries were not caused by direct contact actions. Wings and backs presented the highest injury incidence; additionally, players registered higher match incidence during international championships compared to national leagues. Due to the differences in the injury profile of handball players, specific preventive strategies should be implemented for each group to optimize the injury prevention process.