Physical Demands during Official Competitions in Elite Handball: A Systematic Review

School-Age Talent Identification in Female Handball by a Mathematical Model: Equation Proposed from Anthropometry, Maturity Offset, Fitness and Technical Field-Tests

The present study aimed to identify parameters that best discriminate between high-level and scholar-level players for the Brazilian 13-14-year-old girl's handball and propose a mathematical model to identify sports talent for handball. The sample was made up of all available handball players comprising these two groups: 100 girls who participated in the high-level handball championship in Brazil and 53 girls (age 13-14 years) as finalists of the school-level games in one region of Brazil. We assess the anthropometric profile, maturity offset, physical fitness, and technical skills for handball. To propose the equation, the Discriminant Function Analysis method was used. The discriminant function was significant (p ≤ .05), had a good canonical correlation (0.590), and still had an average Wilk Lambda (0.652). The variables considered in the talent identification model included: 1. flexibility, 2. abdominal strength, 3. lower limbs muscle power, 4. agility, 5. defensive movement and 6. slalom with ball. The values from the equation for identifying school-age athletes with high motor skills and performance for handball can be classified by a cutoff point (Y = 0.192). The results showed that the mathematical-model obtained was able to select school-age athletes with high motor skills for handball, and with the profile for participation in high-level championships.

The dynamic strength index is a reliable and feasible tool to assess neuromuscular performance in male and female handball players

The aim of this study was to explore the reliability and feasibility of the isometric mid-thigh pull (IMTP) and dynamic strength index (DSI) in semi-professional handball players (seventeen male and eighteen female). A cross-sectional design was used to determine the test-retest reliability of several kinetic metrics registered with a force plates. The peak force, peak relative force, rate of force development (RFD 0-250 ms), and impulse 0-250 ms were selected from the IMTP test, whereas the peak propulsive force was chosen from the countermovement jump test to obtain the DSI. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), coefficient of variation (CV), standard error of the measurement (SEM) and smallest detectable difference (SDD) were calculated. A paired sample t-test was also performed. No significant differences were found between the testing sessions for all variables, except for peak propulsive force for all players (p = 0.036) and DSI for female players (p = 0.037). Reliability for all kinetic metrics was good to excellent (ICC = 0.78-0.97), with low variability (CV ≤ 8.64%), being the SEM scores lower than SDD. In conclusion, the IMTP test and DSI are highly reliable and feasible tools for assessing neuromuscular performance in semi-professional handball players.

Internal and External Load Profile during Beach Invasion Sports Match-Play by Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems: A Systematic Review

Beach variants of popular sports like soccer and handball have grown in participation over the last decade. However, the characterization of the workload demands in beach sports remains limited compared to their indoor equivalents. This systematic review aimed to: (1) characterize internal and external loads during beach invasion sports match-play; (2) identify technologies and metrics used for monitoring; (3) compare the demands of indoor sports; and (4) explore differences by competition level, age, sex, and beach sport. Fifteen studies ultimately met the inclusion criteria. The locomotive volumes averaged 929 ± 269 m (average) and 16.5 ± 3.3 km/h (peak) alongside 368 ± 103 accelerations and 8 ± 4 jumps per session. The impacts approached 700 per session. The heart rates reached 166-192 beats per minute (maximal) eliciting 60-95% intensity. The player load was 12.5 ± 2.9 to 125 ± 30 units. Males showed 10-15% higher external but equivalent internal loads versus females. Earlier studies relied solely on a time-motion analysis, while recent works integrate electronic performance and tracking systems, enabling a more holistic quantification. However, substantial metric intensity zone variability persists. Beach sports entail intermittent high-intensity activity with a lower-intensity recovery. Unstable surface likely explains the heightened internal strain despite moderately lower running volumes than indoor sports. The continued integration of technology together with the standardization of workload intensity zones is needed to inform a beach-specific training prescription.

Reference Values of Physical Performance in Handball Players Aged 13-19 Years: Taking into Account Their Biological Maturity

Biological maturity status significantly influences success in handball, impacting an athlete's performance and overall development. This study aimed to examine the anthropometric and physical performance variables concerning age and maturity status, establishing reference values for physical performance among Tunisian players. A total of 560 handball players (309 males and 251 females aged 13-19 years) were categorized based on maturity status: early (n = 98), average (n = 262), and late (n = 200), determined through Mirwald and colleagues' equations. Anthropometric, physical fitness, and physiological data were collected for reference value creation. Our findings revealed significantly higher anthropometric parameters (p = 0.003) in late-maturing athletes compared to their early-maturing counterparts. Post-pubertal athletes showed significantly superior (p = 0.002) jumping ability, change of direction, and aerobic performance compared to their pre-pubertal peers. Additionally, male athletes outperformed females in both fitness (p = 0.001) and aerobic (p = 0.001) performance. A notable age-by-maturity interaction emerged for most performance outcomes (η2 ranging from 0.011 to 0.084), highlighting increased sex-specific differences as athletes progressed in age. Percentile values are provided for males and females, offering valuable insights for coaches and sports scientists to design personalized training programs. Understanding a player's performance relative to these percentiles allows trainers to tailor workouts, addressing specific strengths and weaknesses for enhanced development and competitiveness.

A Global Positioning System Used to Monitor the Physical Performance of Elite Beach Handball Referees in a Spanish Championship

Beach handball is a fully developed sporting discipline on all five continents which has attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade, resulting in a proliferation of different studies focusing on players but not on referees. The main objective of this cross-sectional research was to determine the physical demands on elite male beach handball referees in four different competitions: U18 male; U18 female; senior male; and senior female. Twelve elite federated male referees (age: 30.86 ± 8 years; body height: 175.72 ± 4.51 cm; body weight: 80.18 ± 17.99 kg; fat percentage: 20.1 ± 4.41%; national or international experience) belonging to the Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation were recruited for this the study. The physical demands required of referees in official matches were measured by installing a GPS device. The sampling frequency used to record their speed and distance was 15 Hz. A triaxial accelerometer (100 Hz) was used to determine their acceleration. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between competitions with post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni adjustment was used to compare among categories. A higher distance covered in zone 1 and speeds of 0 to 6 km-h-1 were recorded. Most accelerations and decelerations occurred in zones 0 and 1 (zone 0: 0 to 1 m·s-2; zone 1: 1 to 2 m·s-2). The lack of differences (p > 0.05) between most analysed variables suggest quite similar physical demands of the four analysed competitions. These results provide relevant information to design optimal training plans oriented to the real physical demands on referees in an official competition.

Influence of limb dominance on body and jump asymmetries in elite female handball

Handball is a team sport subjected to asymmetric actions that require high physical capacity demands on players. The development of large asymmetries could negatively affect sports performance. However, few studies have analyzed body composition and the force asymmetries in elite female handball players. The aim of this study was to analyze the presence of asymmetries based on limb dominance in body composition parameters and lower limb power in jumping performances in an elite women's handball team. An entire elite women's handball team, comprised by of 14 players, was analyzed. Dual X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) and bioimpedance were used to analyze body composition. Force plates were used to evaluate jump performance. Results show the presence of differences between all the players in the different parameters of the CMJ jump. In addition, an asymmetry between the power of the dominant and non-dominant lower limb was observed between the players. The results show differences in muscle mass between the upper limbs, but not in the lower limbs in terms of both muscle and fat mass. However, there were no crossed asymmetries or significant differences between members based on dominance. The results suggest that the presence of asymmetries does not have to be one of the main parameters to be taken into account by coaches in elite athletes and to highlight the importance of including specific analyzes of body composition and sports performance in an individualized way.

Speed Training Practices of Brazilian Olympic Sprint and Jump Coaches: Toward a Deeper Understanding of Their Choices and Insights (Part II)

This is the second article in a three-article collection regarding the plyometric, speed, and resistance training practices of Brazilian Olympic sprint and jump coaches. Here, we list and describe six out of the ten speed training methods most commonly employed by these experts to enhance the sprinting capabilities of their athletes. Maximum speed sprinting, form running, resisted sprinting, overspeed running, uphill and downhill running, and sport-specific movement methods are critically examined with reference to their potential application in different sport contexts. In an era when sprint speed is of critical importance across numerous sports, practitioners can employ the methods outlined here to design efficient training programs for their athletes.

Analysis of Motion Characteristics and Metabolic Power in Elite Male Handball Players

While handball is characterized by repeated sprints and changes of direction, traditional player load models do not consider accelerations and decelerations. The aim of this study was to analyze the differences between metabolic power and speed zones for player load assessment with regard to the player role. Position data from 330 male individuals during 77 games from the 2019/20 German Men's Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) were analyzed, resulting in 2233 individual observations. Players were categorized into wings, backs and pivots. Distance covered in different speed zones, metabolic power, metabolic work, equivalent distance (metabolic work divided by energy cost of running), time spend running, energy spend running, and time over 10 and 20 W were calculated. A 2-by-3 mixed ANOVA was calculated to investigate differences and interactions between groups and player load models. Results showed that total distance was longest in wings (3568 ± 1459 m in 42 ± 17 min), followed by backs (2462 ± 1145 m in 29 ± 14 min), and pivots (2445 ± 1052 m in 30 ± 13 min). Equivalent distance was greatest in wings (4072.50 ± 1644.83 m), followed by backs (2765.23 ± 1252.44 m), and pivots (2697.98 ± 1153.16 m). Distance covered and equivalent distance showed moderate to large interaction effects between wings and backs (p < .01, ES = 0.73) and between wings and pivots (p < .01, ES = 0.86) and a small interaction effect between backs and pivots (p < .01, ES = 0.22). The results underline the need for individualized management of training loads and the potential of using information about locomotive accelerations and decelerations to obtain more precise descriptions of player load during handball game performance at the highest level of competition. Future studies should investigate the influence of physical performance on smaller match sequences, like ball possession phases.

Physical match demands of four LIQUI-MOLY Handball-Bundesliga teams from 2019-2022: effects of season, team, match outcome, playing position, and halftime

Introduction

Due to the development in team handball, there is a need to optimize the physical capacities of team handball players for which knowledge of the physical match demands is essential. The aim of this study was to investigate the physical match demands of four LIQUI-MOLY Handball-Bundesliga (HBL) teams across three seasons with respect to the effects of season, team, match outcome, playing position, and halftime.

Methods

A fixed installed local positioning system (Kinexon) was used, collecting 2D positional and 3D inertial measurement unit data at 20 and 100 Hz, respectively. The physical match demands were operationalized by basic (e.g., distance, speed, and acceleration) and more advanced variables (e.g., jumps, throws, impacts, acceleration load, and metabolic power). A total of 347 matches (213 with an additional ball tracking) were analyzed from four teams (one top, two middle, and one lower ranked) during three consecutive seasons (2019-2022). One-way ANOVAs were calculated to estimate differences between more than two groups (e.g., season, team, match outcome, playing position). Mean differences between halftimes were estimated using Yuen's test for paired samples.

Results

Large effects were detected for the season (0.6≤ξ^≤0.86), team (0.56≤ξ^≤0.72), and playing position (0.64≤ξ^≤0.98). Medium effects were found for match outcome (ξ^≤0.36) and halftime (ξ^≤0.47).

Conclusion

For the first time, we provide a comprehensive analysis of physical match demands in handball players competing in the LIQUI-MOLY Handball-Bundesliga. We found that physical match demands differ on that top-level with up to large effect sizes concerning the season, team, match outcome, playing position, and halftime. Our outcomes can help practitioners and researchers to develop team and player profiles as well as to optimize talent identification, training, regeneration, prevention, and rehabilitation procedures.