Postural Stability in Goalkeepers of the Polish National Junior Handball Team

The Importance of Posture And Body Composition for the Stability and Selected Motor Abilities of Professional Handball Players

The aim of the research was to analyze body composition, body posture and postural stability of professional male handball players and to determine the differences between players with correct and incorrect body posture, considering power of the lower limbs and agility, speed, and change of direction deficit. The study comprised 16 professional handball players. Body composition analysis was performed using the method of electrical bioimpedance. Body posture was examined using the Diers formetric III 4D optoelectronic method. Postural stability was tested via the Biodex Balance System. Players performed the following fitness tests assessing lower limb muscle power (LP, HS, CMJ), linear speed (SLS 20 m), and COD speed (Zig-Zag test, COD deficit). Only 31.25% of players demonstrated body posture with correct physiological curvatures, while 68.75% showed changes in body asymmetry. The group with correct body posture performed better in SLS 20m than the group with incorrect posture, yet in the Zig-Zag agility test, the difference in the results was not significant and this affected the COD deficit, which was higher. The vast majority of participants demonstrated postural defects and incorrect physiological curvatures of the spine. The occurrence of scoliotic posture was also observed. The body deflection angles indicated that athletes’ postural stability was good. However, it is worth noting that the majority demonstrated a tendency towards asymmetrical body deflections to the right or to the left, backwards direction. One-sided sports specialization leads to disturbances in the statics of the body, therefore, it becomes necessary to include postural re-education exercises in training.

Influence of typical handball characteristics on upper body posture and postural control in male handball players

Background

Well defined constitutional parameters support the physical fatigue resistance in handball to maintain the performance level for the majority of actions. Ideal constitutional conditions are necessary to achieve these physiological advantages in handball. But limited knowledge exists about the upper body posture or the postural control in correlation to the Body Mass Index (BMI), playing years, playing position and throwing arm in professional male handball.

Methods

Ninety-one male handball players participate (24.1 ± 5.9 years; playing experience 16.6 ± 5.7 years). A three-dimensional back scanner and a pressure measuring plate were used.

Results

Correlations between BMI and upper body posture and postural control were not significant. Same counts for the comparison between the left and right throwing arm according to upper body posture and postural control (p ≥ 0.05). Correlations between the years of playing can be found at pelvis height (p ≤ 0.04) and for the length of the Center of Pressure (CoP) (p ≤ 0.01). Wing players are 6.5-8.5 cm smaller. The playing position is independently of BMI, age or upper body posture (p ≥ 0.05). Backcourt players have a higher load of the left and a lower load of the right foot compared to wing players (p ≤ 0.001). Left-right comparison (p ≤ 0.001/ 0.01) can be seen in pivot player (covered area), backcourt player (weight distribution left/right [rear] foot), wing player (weight and force distribution left/right foot, covered area).

Conclusion

Goalkeeper, Backcourt and pivot players are taller and heavier than wing players. These physiological demands are not detectable in the upper body posture and slightly in postural control. Wing players have the most asymmetric load distribution and the longest length of CoP. Since goalkeepers do not differ from pivot or backcourt players, this can be lead back to the same training.