Anthropometric, physiological and performance characteristics of elite team-handball players

Abstract

The objective of this study was to provide anthropometric, physiological, and performance characteristics of an elite international handball team. Twenty-one elite handball players were tested and categorized according to their playing positions (goalkeepers, backs, pivots, and wings). Testing consisted of anthropometric and physiological measures of height, body mass, percentage body fat and endurance (VO(2max)), performance measures of speed (5, 10, and 30 m), strength (bench press and squat), unilateral and bilateral horizontal jumping ability, and a 5-jump horizontal test. Significant differences were found between player positions for some anthropometric characteristics (height and percentage body fat) but not for the physiological or performance characteristics. Strong correlations were noted between single leg horizontal jumping distances with 5-, 10-, and 30-m sprint times (r = 0.51-0.80; P < 0.01). The best predictors of sprint times were single leg horizontal jumping with the dominant leg and the distance measured for the 5-jump test, which when combined accounted for 72% of the common variance associated with sprint ability. In conclusion, performance abilities between positions in elite team-handball players appear to be very similar. Single leg horizontal jumping distance could be a specific standardized test for predicting sprinting ability in elite handball players.

Differences in Anthropometric Characteristics and Physical Capacities Between Junior and Adult Top-Level Handball Players

“…Regarding the relationships between jump and speed capacities, our findings were supported by those of one previous study each in junior (27) and adult (22) handball players, demonstrating comparable correlation coefficients (juniors: r = -0.65 --0.68; adults: r = -0.45). Overall, the outcomes of our and previous studies (22,27) show that speed and jump capacities were large to very large correlated in juniors, whereas both were unclear to moderate correlated in adults, indicating different associations between two important physical capacities for playing handball (1) in both age groups.…”

“…Additionally, compared to previous studies (22,27), our study was the first to examine relationships not only between speed and jump capacities, but also concerning COD considered as a further essential physical capacity for playing handball (1,15). In line with the found relationships between speed and jump capacities, in our juniors and adults, speed and COD capacities were large and unclear correlated, respectively (Table 2).…”

“…For our adults, the mean measured body height (1.90 cm) and mass (92.0 kg) as well as 30 (8,10,11,14,17,18,22,(31)(32)(33). All further data of our adults were not comparable due to discrepancies in testing procedures (i.e., our COD and endurance tests were firstly conducted in handball) and methodologies (e.g., bioelectric impedance vs. skinfold calipers for body composition analyses (34), single vs. double timing gates and different procedures to trigger the start for sprint analyses (35), or impulse-momentum vs. flight-time Asian J Sports Med.…”

“…Since laboratory tests have less validity concerning practical applications compared to field tests (26), a study also containing various field tests is required. In such a study, and similar to previous studies (22,23,27), it is further reasonable to examine relationships among speed, COD, and jump capacities to identify related or unrelated areas in both age groups. Such knowledge may help design different training and testing procedures for juniors and adults as well as assist in talent selection processes, especially when aiming to develop talented juniors toward prospective elite adult handball players (24).…”

A multidisciplinary approach of success in team-handball

“…These results suggested that leg power is an essential component for success in athletic performance. 29,30 In other words, it seems that muscle mass and power are attributes to excellence in team-handball players. 28 In general, morphologic and physiological attributes do have an important role on the all process of training evaluation, and physiological profiling can generate a useful database against which talented groups may be compared (explaining 88.2% of variance).…”