Saavedra, JM, Kristjánsdóttir, H, Einarsson, IÞ, Guðmundsdóttir, ML, Þorgeirsson, S, and Stefansson, A. Anthropometric characteristics, physical fitness, and throwing velocity in elite women's handball teams. J Strength Cond Res 32(8): 2294-2301, 2018-The aims of this study were (a) to analyze anthropometric, physical fitness, and throwing speed in women elite handball players of different ages and (b) to develop a multivariate model explaining handball performance from a multidimensional perspective. Eighty women handball players (18.2 ± 4.0 years in age) from national team selections participated in the study. The players belonged to A Team, under-19, under-17, and under-15 national teams. All were evaluated by basic anthropometry, physical fitness tests, and handball throwing speed. A 1-way analysis of variance was used to establish the differences between teams with a Bonferroni post hoc test. For each team, a discriminant analysis was performed to determine the predictor variables of performance. Pearson's simple correlation coefficients were calculated between each of the variables. The results of this particular study showed that (a) between the A Team and the U19 team, there were only differences in mass, countermovement jump (CMJ), medicine ball throw, and yo-yo test, (b) the A Team and U19 predictive models correctly classified 76 and 90% of the samples, respectively, with the variables involved being mass and body mass index (A Team) and 30-m sprint and 7-m throwing speed (U19 team), and (c) the 7- and 9-m throwing speeds were correlated with each other and with stature, mass, CMJ, and medicine ball throw (0.367 ≤ r ≤ 0.533; 0.001 ≤ p ≤ 0.05). These results could help improve coaches' knowledge of elite female teams, in particular, in the country where the study was conducted and in others of similar characteristics.

Training is a complex process that depends, among other factors, on the intensity and volume of training. Th e objective of this study was to analyse the volume of training in several sports as a function of sex and age. Th e study sample consisted of 302 sportspersons (men, n=132; women, n=170) who participated in the 16 th Games of the Small States of Europe (1st to 6th June 2015) in representing nine countries. Th e subjects practised the following sports: artistic gymnastics, athletics, basketball, beach volleyball, golf, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball, and were classifi ed by sex, sport, and age (younger: ≤20 years; intermediate: from 21 to 30 years; older: ≥31 years). Th ey responded to fi ve questions about their training volume and the annual number of competitions in which they participated. A one-way ANOVA with a Bonferroni post hoc test was used to establish diff erences by sex, sport, and age group. Th ree-way ANOVAs (sex [men, women] × age [3 levels: younger, intermediate, older] × sport [11 sports]) were performed to determine any relationships between the variables. Neither interactions between the groups nor diff erences depending on sex were found in the training volumes, but the older the sportsperson, the lower the training volume (days per week, and total time per week). Th e sports with the greatest training volumes were artistic gymnastics and swimming, while those with the most competitions per year were basketball and volleyball.

Handball (team handball) is a multifactorial sport. The aims of this study were (i) to analyse anthropometric variables, conditioning abilities, and handball skills in club handball players according to age and sex, and (ii) to develop multivariate models explaining club handball performance from a multidimensional perspective. Two hundred and twenty six handball players (age 16.9 ± 4.0 years, 54% males) participated in the study. The players belonged to under-14, under-16, under-19, and A teams. They were evaluated with a battery of 18 tests covering kinanthropometry, conditioning abilities, and handball skills. A one-way ANOVA with a Bonferroni post-hoc test was used to investigate differences between teams, and a t-test for differences between the sexes. For each team, a discriminant analysis was performed to determine differences between performance levels. The results showed little differences between the U19 and A teams in any of the variables studied in either men or women, and that the lowest values corresponded to the U14 team. The differences according to sex were clear in the kinanthropometric and conditioning variables, but much less so in handball skills. The eight multivariate models that were constructed classified successfully from 48.5 to 100% of the sample using at most three variables (except for the women's A team whose model selected six variables). Conditioning variables were most discriminating in men, and handball skills in women. This would seem to reflect the different performance profiles.