Relationship Between External and Internal Load Measures in Youth Beach Handball

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Understanding the relationship between external load (EL) and internal load (IL) is crucial for optimizing training and preventing injuries in young athletes.
• Beach handball, a demanding sport, requires specific load monitoring strategies for its unique playing environment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the relationship between various external load (EL) metrics and internal load (IL) measures in elite youth male beach handball players.
• To determine the predictive power of EL for IL in this specific athlete population.

Main Methods:

• 11 U17 male beach handball players were monitored during 14 training sessions and 7 matches.
• External load was measured using inertial movement units (PlayerLoad™, accelerations, decelerations, changes of direction, jumps).
• Internal load was assessed objectively (heart rate zones) and subjectively (session rating of perceived exertion). Spearman correlations and linear mixed models were used for analysis.

Main Results:

• PlayerLoad™ demonstrated the strongest correlation with both objective (ρ = .9) and subjective (ρ = .84) internal load.
• High jumps showed the weakest significant relationship with internal load (objective ρ = .56, subjective ρ = .49).
• Linear mixed models indicated that PlayerLoad™ explained 47% of the variance in objective IL and 71% in subjective IL.

Conclusions:

• Objective and subjective internal load measures are viable monitoring tools when external load data is unavailable.
• The study provides predictive equations for coaches to estimate internal load based on external load, aiding in training management.