Applied Physiology of Water Polo

Abstract

Water polo has been played for over a century. While the rules of the game have evolved considerably over this time, the sport has consistently remained, physiologically, a highly demanding activity. Much attention has been paid to the technical and strategic elements of the game; however, despite the potential for improvements in athletic performance and the maintenance of athletes' health, there are few published studies (particularly in English) on the physical and physiological demands and adaptations to water polo training and competition. Game analyses have demonstrated that water polo is an 'intermittent' sport comprised of intense bursts of activity of <15 seconds duration with intervening, lower intensity intervals averaging <20 seconds duration. Physiological measurements obtained during game play indicate a cumulative effect of the repeated sequences of activities and suggest there is a high metabolic demand on the athletes. The multiple individual skills and movements required for playing water polo also place considerable demands on the neuromuscular system. Observations of the frequency and duration of the different activities, and of the physiological responses to participating in a water polo match, are initial sources of information for designing training programmes specific to the game and to the different playing positions. The physical and physiological attributes of elite water polo players offer some insight into the minimum requirements for participation and the adaptations that result from training and competition. Further systematic documentation and experimentation are required to facilitate the design and specification of individual training programmes and to better understand the long term effects of water polo on athletes' health.

Comparison of Two Anaerobic Water Polo-Specific Tests With the Wingate Test

“…Water polo is a game which poses high physiological demands (26) on the players, due to the aquatic environment and the intermittent nature of the sport (14). The time-restricted offense results in repeated high-intensity swimming bouts (20).…”

Comparison of anthropometric parameters among Iranian and Spanish water polo players

“…The mean value of stature for the Iranian was 184.0 cm while it was 187.4 for the Spanish. In the year 1998, Smith [26] described that national Greek team has mean height of 184.2 cm and also in 2004 Lozovina et al reported the statured of 189.5 cm for 65 water polo players from the top Croatian clubs [1]. So the valued who reported in other published showed that the stature value of Iranian team are in line with the national Greek team [26].…”

“…In the year 1998, Smith [26] described that national Greek team has mean height of 184.2 cm and also in 2004 Lozovina et al reported the statured of 189.5 cm for 65 water polo players from the top Croatian clubs [1]. So the valued who reported in other published showed that the stature value of Iranian team are in line with the national Greek team [26]. As all fitness experts know, taller height and a more or less heavy body is the most important factors for athlete's performance [20].…”

Arm stroke: a comparative analysis between competitive swimming and water polo athletes

“…S314-S322, 2013. Water polo is a team sport and efforts of high intensity are made in less duration, where the players must swim, hyperextension, takes and send the ball with moments of rest or low intensity, where the players conduct battles against their opponents throughout contacts type (Smith, 1998;Wakayoshi, 1992). "Water polo consists of high intensity bursts of sprinting, interspersed with short periods of low to moderate intensity swimming".…”