Specific game-based performance in elite male adolescent team handball players
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (2022)
Full-text available here: on request
Abstract:
Purpose: In elite team handball, talent identification and selection of the best young players is a fundamental process in several national federations and clubs; however, literature addressing the specific game-based performance in team handball is almost nonexistent. Consequently, the aim of the study was to assess and compare the team-handball-specific game-based performance of elite male team handball players of different ages. Methods: Twelve under-23, 10 under-19, 10 under-17, and 10 under-15 elite male players performed the team-handball game-based performance test. During testing, oxygen uptake, heart rate, sprinting time in defense, offense, fast breaks, and fast retreats, as well as ball velocity and jump height in the jump shot, were measured. Results: Significant differences (P < .05) between under-23, under-19, under-17, and under-15 players were found for absolute peak oxygen uptake, defense, offense and fast break time, ball velocity, and jump height in the game-based performance test, as well as in body weight and height. Conclusion: The results revealed that with increasing age, elite male team handball players are heavier and taller (body weight and height); faster (team-handball offense, defense, and fast break); jump higher and throw faster (in the team-handball jump shot); and perform better aerobically (absolute peak oxygen uptake). The better performance in the under-23 and under-19 players compared with male adult players competing in a lower National Federation league (not on top-elite level) demonstrates that highly specific game-based physical performance determines the potential for developing young male team handball players for competition at the top level.
Critical assessment of a wide-spread method for estimating energy expenditure during accelerated running based on positioning tracking systems
Journal of Sport and Health Science (2022)
Full-text available here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2095254622000394?via%3Dihub
Comparative analysis of the indirect calorimetry and the metabolic power method to calculate energy expenditure in team handball
MDPI – Applied Sciences (2022)
Full-text available here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/12/1/163/htm
Abstract:
Monitoring physical activity, e.g., training load and energy expenditure (EE), is important to optimize the training process in various sports. Especially in team handball, where there is little information about EE in training and competition. The objective of the study was to compare EE in team handball derived from a respiratory gas exchange analysis (spiroergometry) and a local position measurement (LPM) system. Eleven participants completed a validated, team handball game-based performance test and wore a portable spiroergometry system (K5 Cosmed) and an LPM transponder (Catapult ClearSky T6). EE was determined via indirect calorimetry for spiroergometry data and via the metabolic power model for EE for LPM data. EE estimated via the metabolic power model was −66 to −63 ± 12% lower than via indirect calorimetry (p < 0.001, pη2 = 0.97). No correlation was found for the overall test (r = 0.32, p = 0.34), nor for every single heat (r ≤ 0.44, 0.18 ≤ p ≤ 0.99). Therefore, regression analyses predicting spiroergometry data based on LPM data were not feasible. In line with previous studies, the metabolic power model for EE in team handball (including short-distance movements, great accelerations, and non-locomotive actions) is not suitable.
Keywords: respiratory gas exchange analysis system; local position measurement system; specific performance testing; oxygen uptake
The team handball game-based performance test is better than the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test to measure match-related activities in female adult top-elite field team handball players
MDPI – Applied Sciences (2021)
Full-text available here: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/14/6551/htm
Abstract:
In team handball, suitable tests determining the match-related physical performance are essential for the planning of optimal physical training regimens. Thus, the aims of the present study were (a) to determine the relationships between the physical and physiological test results from a team handball game-based performance test (GBPT), the Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test, level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1 test) and a separate linear 30-m single sprint performance test (SSPT) in female adult top-elite field team handball players, in order to establish the significance (validity) of tests for measuring relevant elements for team handball match-play; and (b) to compare and evaluate the results from the aforementioned tests for the same players in relation to the different playing positions. Twenty-three female adult top-elite field team handball players from the Danish Premier Female Team Handball League performed the GBPT, the Yo-Yo IR1 test and the 30-m SSPT test on separate days. As main findings, significant correlations between the GBPT and the Yo-Yo IR1 test in about 1/3 of the variables were found, indicating that the Yo-Yo IR1 test is reflecting most of the locomotive match activities in female adult top-elite team handball. However, the Yo-Yo IR1 test results were not correlated to the GBPT in any of the match-related activities in the team handball GBPT that included technical playing actions such as tackles, passes, jumping and shooting during specialized movements in offence and defence. Overall, the results revealed that the GBPT is better than the Yo-Yo IR1 test to evaluate female adult top-elite field team handball players’ ability to perform physical match-related activities including both locomotive and technical playing actions executed as during competitive match-play. Similar to the Yo-Yo IR1 test, the 30-m SSPT was not correlated to any of the team handball GBPT activities, which included technical playing actions. These data suggest that the SSPT only to a certain extent can measure the individual sprint capacity of elite team handball players. In addition, unexpectedly no significant differences between the various playing positions were found neither for the GBPT, the SSPT nor the Yo-Yo IR1 test. However, several effects sizes indicated that the lack of positional differences primarily was due to the relatively small sample size in each playing position and the composition of the specific group of players. In conclusion, this study clearly indicated that team handball specific physical performance, as measured by the GBPT, and general physical performance, as measured by the Yo-Yo IR1 test and the 30-m SSPT, are different components. This must be taken in consideration when using physical test results for the planning of optimal physical training regimens in elite team handball.
Keywords: team handball specific physical performance; technical playing actions; oxygen uptake; blood lactate; general physical performance; positional differences
On court game-based testing in world-class, top-elite and elite adulte female team handball players
Translational Sports Medicine (2020)
Full-text available here: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tsm2.139
Abstract:
The on-court physical performance knowledge of adult female world-class players in team handball is lacking, especially when testing specific physical performance on-court under similar conditions as in competition. Consequently, the aims of the study were to analyze team handball on-court physical performance in elite, top-elite, and world-class female team handball players by using team handball specific testing. Ten elite, eleven top-elite, and eleven world-class adult female players performed a team handball game-based performance test. We measured oxygen uptake, heart rate, blood lactate concentration, ball velocity, and jump height in the jump shots as well as running time (in offense, defense, fast break, and retreat). Significant differences were found in peak oxygen uptake, heart rate, ball velocity, defense, offense, and fast-break time between world-class, top-elite, and elite players. During breaks, between the high-intensity movements in the game-based performance test, a world-class player had greater increase in oxygen uptake compared with an elite player. The results of the present study clearly indicated the importance of specific agility both in offense and defense, in throwing velocity in the jump shot as well as in aerobic performance to become a world-class adult female team handball player.
Physical performance in elite male and female team handball players
International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance (2019)
Full-text available here: on request
Abstract:
Purpose: Biological differences between men and women are well known; however, literature addressing knowledge about the influence of sex on specific and general performance in team handball is almost nonexistent. Consequently, the aim of the study was to assess and compare specific and general physical performance in male and female elite team-handball players, to determine if the differences are consequential for general compared with specific physical performance characteristics and the relationship between general and specific physical performance. Methods: Twelve male and 10 female elite team-handball players performed a game-based performance test, upper- and lower-body strength and power tests, a sprinting test, and an incremental treadmill running test. Results: Significant differences (P < .05) between male and female players were found for peak oxygen uptake and total running time during the treadmill test, 30-m sprinting time, leg-extension strength, trunk- and shoulder-rotation torque, and countermovement-jump height, as well as offense and defense time, ball velocity, and jump height in the game-based performance test. An interaction (sex × test) was found for time and oxygen uptake, and except shoulder-rotation torque and ball velocity in women, the authors found only a low relationship between specific and general physical performance. Conclusion: The results of the study revealed that male players are heavier, taller, faster, and stronger; jump higher; and have better aerobic performance. However, female players performed relatively better in the team-handball-specific tests than in the general tests. The findings also suggest that female players should focus more on strength training.
Wagner, H., Hinz, M., Fuchs, P., Bell, J.W., & von Duvillard, S.P. (2022). Specific game-based performance in elite male adolescent team handball players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 1(aop), 1-7.
Fuchs, P.X., Fuchs, P., von Duvillard, S.P., Wagner, H., & Shiang, T.-Y. (2022). Critical assessment of a wide-spread method for estimating energy expenditure during accelerated running based on positioning tracking systems. Journal of Sport and Health Science.
Fuchs, P., Luteberget, L.S., Fuchs, P.X., & Wagner, H. (2022). Comparative analysis of the indirect calorimetry and the metabolic power method to calculate energy expenditure in team handball. Applied Sciences, 12(1), 163.
Michalsik, L.B., Fuchs, P., & Wagner, H. (2021). The team handball game-based performance test is better than the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test to measure match-related activities in female adult top-elite field team handball players. Applied Sciences, 11(14), 6551.
Wagner, H., Fuchs, P., & Michalsik, L.B. (2020). On court game-based testing in world-class, top-elite and elite adult female team handball players. Translational Sports Medicine, 3(3), 263-270.
Wagner, H., Fuchs, P., Fusco, A., Fuchs, P.X., Bell, J.W, & von Duvillard, S.P. (2019). Physical performance in elite male and female team handball players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 14(1), 60-67.