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

Abstract

An understanding of physical demands during official competitions is essential to achieving the highest performance in handball. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the available scientific evidence associated with physical demands during official competitions in elite handball according to playing positions, competition level and gender. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 17 studies were selected after a systematic search and selection process of three digital databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Sport Discus. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist; the average score was 18.47 points. The sample consisted of 1175 handball players, of whom 1042 were men (88.68%) and 133 were women (11.32%). The results show that an elite handball player covered on average 3664.4 ± 1121.6 m during a match. The average running pace was 84.8 ± 17.2 m∙min−1. The total distance covered was largely greater in national competitions (4506.7 ± 647.9 m) compared with international competitions (2190.3 ± 1950.5 m) (effect size (ES) = 1.2); however, the running pace did not present any significant difference between the international or national level (ES = 0.06). In regard to gender, the total distance covered was moderately greater in female competitions (4549.1 ± 758.6 m) compared with male competitions (3332.6 ± 1257.7 m) (ES = 0.9), and the running pace was largely greater in female competitions (110.5 ± 7.2 m∙min−1) compared with male competitions (78.4 ± 19.7 m∙min−1) (ES = 1.6). In relation to playing position, backs and wings covered a moderately greater total distance (ES = 0.7 and 0.6) and slightly more meters per minute (ES = 0.4 and 0.2) than pivots. Moreover, the technical activity profile differed between playing positions. Backs performed moderately more throws than pivots and wings (ES = 1.2 and 0.9), pivots exhibited largely more body contact than backs and wings, and wings performed moderately more fast breaks (6.7 ± 3.0) than backs (2.2 ± 2.3) (ES = 1.8). Therefore, this research study provides practical applications for handball coaches and strength and conditioning professionals with respect to designing and implementing more individualised training programmes to maximise performance and reduce injury risk.

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

“…In line with the previous observations, coaches from rugby sevens, and Australian, American, and Gaelic football declared that the main rationale for sprint development in football code athletes is “to provide stimuli targeted at underpinning mechanical components of the neuromuscular system that determine sprint performance” (e.g., force-velocity-power-related output) as well as to optimize the technical efficiency of their athletes (i.e., orientation of forces applied onto the ground with increasing speed) ( Nicholson et al, 2022 ). Nonetheless, it is essential to emphasize that, in most sports (especially in team sports), speed will come into play within a wide variety of game scenarios, in challenging and complex contexts ( Caldbeck and Dos’Santos, 2022a ; García-Sánchez et al, 2023 ; Jeffreys, 2017 ; Martínez-Hernández et al, 2023 ). In this sense, it is crucial to prepare players not only to cope with the expected and more controlled demands of linear sprinting, but also to effectively perform rapid and unexpected non-linear sprint tasks (e.g., directional changes involving acceleration and deceleration phases and curvilinear sprints) ( Caldbeck and Dos’Santos, 2022a ; Freitas et al, 2022b ; Martínez-Hernández et al, 2023 ), skills that have been extensively researched and found to be strictly related to team-sport players’ performance ( Dos’Santos et al, 2018 ; Freitas et al, 2022a , 2022b; Loturco et al, 2019b ; Nimphius et al, 2018 ).…”

Body Part Pain Affects Subjective and Objective Handball Performance in Japanese Male National Athletes—Results of Short-Term Practical Monitoring of Athletes’ Conditions

“…Furthermore, athletes repeatedly throw a ball weighing 500 g at more than 100 km/h in several arm trajectories, placing a heavy burden on the shoulders and elbows. Since approximately 6 to 10 high-intensity shots are made per game [ 4 ], the accumulated minor stress on the upper limb joints might be significant [ 5 , 6 ]. Due to these game characteristics, handball is a sport in which acute trauma and chronic injury occur frequently [ 3 , 7 ], and these injuries sometimes seriously damage players’ careers.…”

High-intensity interval training programs and their impact on endurance performance in handball players: A systematic review

“…During handball matches, players exhibit elevated heart rates (HR), oxygen uptake (VO2), blood lactate levels, glycogen utilization, and lipid metabolism, highlighting the substantial aerobic and anaerobic demands of the sport [41,54]. Although there are studies that claim that these attributes do or do not differentiate elite performance and are crucial to success [36,39], prior studies have recommended the utilization of intermittent exercise to improve the endurance performance of these players [22,52].…”