Diurnal Variations in Physical Performance: Are There Morning-to-Evening Differences in Elite Male Handball Players?

Abstract

The purposes of this study were to determine: 1) morning-to-evening differences in physical performance with and without a ball; and 2) associations between sleep outcomes (duration and quality) and physical performance in handball players. Sixteen elite, male handball players (25.4 ± 5.8 yr, 94.0 ± 7.4 kg, 193.5 ± 7.5 cm) completed physical performance tests without a ball (a zig-zag test assessing closed-skill agility, linear sprints, and countermovement (CMJ) and squat jumps) and with a ball (a zig-zag test and linear sprints) in the morning and evening. In addition, sleep quality and quantity during the night before testing were obtained using self-reported measures. Superior physical performance was evident in all tests during the evening compared to the morning hours (p < 0.003). Specifically, jump height was moderately (effect size (ES) = 0.73 to 1.02) higher during the evening. Similarly, moderate (ES = 1.17) and large (ES = 1.67) improvements in zig-zag test performance were apparent during the evening with and without the ball, respectively. Also, large to very large (ES = 1.29 to 2.09) increases in sprint performance with and without the ball were evident in the evening. No significant correlations (p > 0.05) were apparent between sleep duration and quality and physical performance in both the morning and evening sessions. Diurnal variations in physical performance were apparent in elite male handball players with enhanced performance with and without the ball in the evening compared to morning hours. These findings indicate that morning-to-evening differences in physical performance should be considered when developing conditioning plans or preparing for competition in handball.

¿El estiramiento estático compromete el rendimiento del salto en la variación diurna?

“…The participants reached higher jump heights in the evening than the morning. Pavlovic et al, (Pavlović et al, 2018) in support of our findings showed that jump heights followed by static stretching in warm-up were higher at the evening (18:00-19:30 h) compared to morning (08:00-09:30 h) in handball players. In another study used static stretching in warm-up showed that swimmers performed better in CMJ, 25m swimming time, maximal strength, and free weighted bench press in the evening (18:00 h) than morning (10:00 h) (Pallarés et al, 2014).…”

Game format alters the physiological and activity demands encountered during small-sided football games in recreational players

“…Sessions were carried out at the same time of day (10:00–11:00 h) to avoid any effect of circadian rhythm on the measured variables. 18 All testing sessions were performed in similar environmental conditions (temperature: 15.3 ± 0.6 °C, humidity: 49.9 ± 6.8%) on the same indoor football court. The pitch size of all SSG was fixed at 40 × 20 m with consistent goal sizes (2 m high x 3 m wide).…”

Handball Research: State of the Art

“…In this Special Issue, one paper analyses the influence of fouls ( Fasol and Redlich, 2018 ), concluding that whether or not a game-stopping foul is committed has no influence on scoring a goal, and another looks at how home court advantage affects performance ( Pic, 2018 ), finding that the potential advantage of playing at home occurs mainly in situations in which the teams reach the end of the game tied. It has to be noted, however, that physical performance in handball is different in the morning from what it is in the evening ( Pavlović et al, 2018 ). Studies related to the national teams of two of the world’s major countries in this sport – Norway and Denmark – have confirmed that experience in the Norwegian national youth and junior teams is associated with the number of international matches played in the senior category ( Bjorndal et al, 2018 ), and that the relative age effect is apparent in Danish national men’s teams at these younger levels ( Wrang et al, 2018 ).…”