Effects of in-season short-term aerobic and high-intensity interval training program on repeated sprint ability and jump performance in handball players
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Updated: Mar 12, 2026
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Published on: June 10, 2025
Souhail Hermassi1, Jørgen Ingebrigtsen2, René Schwesig3
1Research Unit (UR17JS01), Sport Performance, Health and Society, Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education, Ksar Saîd, University of "La Manouba, " Tunis, Tunisia - hermassi_fr@yahoo.fr.
Background:
This study examined the effects of a 7-week in-season aerobic and high-intensity interval-training program on performance tests linked to successful handball play (e.g., repeated sprint and jumping ability).
Methods:
Thirty participants (age 17.0±1.2 years, body mass 81.1±3.4 kg, height 1.82±0.07 m) performed a Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1), a squat (SJ) and a Countermovement Jump Test (CMJ), as well as a repeated Sprint Ability Test (RSA). From this, maximal aerobic speed (MAS, reached at the end of the Yo-Yo IR1), jumping ability, best time in a single sprint trial (RSAbest), total time (RSATT) and the performance decrement (RSAdec) during all sprints were calculated. Later, subjects were randomly assigned to a control group (CG; N.=15) performing their normal training schedule (5 weekly sessions of ~90 minutes of handball training) or an experimental group (EG; N.=15). The EG performed two 30 min sessions per week of high-intensity aerobic exercises at 100-130% of MAS in addition to their normal training schedule.
Results:
A significant improvement in MAS (d=4.1), RSAbest (d=1.9), RSATT (d=1.5) and RSAdec (d=2.3) after the training period was demonstrated. Also, significant interaction effects (time x group) were found for all parameters as the EG significantly improved performances in all tests after training. The greatest interaction effects were observed in MAS (η2=0.811) and CMJ (η2=0.759). No relevant changes in test performances were found in the CG (mean d=-0.02).
Conclusions:
These results indicate that individually speed-controlled aerobic and interval training is effective for improving specific handball performance.
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