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Physiological profile of handball players
1Laboratoire de Physiologie et de Biomécanique de l'Exercice Musculaire, UFR-APS, Université de Rennes 2, Rennes, France.
The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
|September 5, 2001
Summary
Handball players exhibit a strong anaerobic capacity, similar to sprinters, indicating its crucial role in performance. Their physiological profile highlights significant power output, especially when normalized for body mass.
Area of Science:
- Sports Physiology
- Exercise Science
- Human Performance
Background:
- Understanding the physiological demands of various sports is crucial for optimizing training and performance.
- Handball involves intermittent high-intensity bursts, suggesting a reliance on anaerobic energy systems.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the physiological characteristics of handball players with sprinters, endurance athletes, and untrained individuals.
- To elucidate the specific metabolic contributions to performance in elite handball athletes.
Main Methods:
- Physiological testing included incremental treadmill tests for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) and Wingate anaerobic tests (WanT) for maximal power (Wmax).
- Plasma lactate concentration was measured post-Wingate test to assess anaerobic contribution.
- Subjects comprised national and international handball players, sprint-trained, endurance-trained, and untrained groups.
Main Results:
- Handball players demonstrated VO2max comparable to sprinters but lower than endurance athletes.
- Maximal power (Wmax) in handball players was similar to sprinters and significantly higher than untrained and endurance-trained groups, especially when normalized.
- Elevated plasma lactate levels in handball players indicated a substantial reliance on anaerobic metabolism.
Conclusions:
- Anaerobic metabolism plays a vital role in handball performance, mirroring that of sprinters.
- The physiological profile of handball players is characterized by high anaerobic power, essential for the sport's intermittent high-intensity nature.