[Longitudinal and specific analyses of physical performance in handball]

Area of Science:

• Sports science and biomechanics.
• Physiology and performance analysis.
• Handball-specific training methodologies.

Context:

• Biomechanical measuring stations are crucial for assessing athletic performance across sports.
• Handball lacks comprehensive research on player performance metrics and training load.
• Systematic data collection is needed to understand handball player development and strain.

Purpose:

• To longitudinally assess the performance and development of 3rd league handball players.
• To identify correlations between specific tests and competitive performance indicators.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of training interventions on physical capacity.

Summary:

• 13 handball players underwent testing three times during a season, including sprint tests (ST), handball-specific complex tests (HBKT), and treadmill diagnostics (LD).
• High cardiac and metabolic strain were observed during HBKT. Significant improvements were noted in LD parameters, goal-throwing time, and penalty time.
• Performance stabilized in HBKT and LD by mid-season, though speed declined; competition performance correlated strongly with cardiac and metabolic recovery in HBKT.

Impact:

• Recommends using HBKT for more efficient physical performance assessment, potentially replacing isolated sprint tests.
• Suggests improving data output by incorporating metrics like throwing velocity and establishing reference databases.
• Highlights the need for further optimization of training content, severity, and chronology based on performance data.