PHYSIOLOGICAL AREA   

Medicina dello Sport 2023 March;76(1):58-69

DOI: 10.23736/S0025-7826.23.04208-4

Copyright © 2023 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

The effects of different training programs on agility performance in female handball players

Mila D. VUKADINOVIC JURISIC ¹, Aleksandra Z. ALEKSIC VELJKOVIC ² ✉, Anja D. OBRADOVIC ¹, Andrea S. MARKOVIC ², Jelena M. OBRADOVIC ¹

¹ Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia; ² Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Nis, Nis, Serbia

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to compare the effects of the different training programs on agility performance in female handball players during a pre-season period.
METHODS: A total of 45 female handball players (age: 16.11±0.93 years, body height: 1.67±4.61 m, body weight: 63.74±6.17 kg) participated in the study. The participants were assigned to experimental group 1 (E1); experimental group 2 (E2) and control group 3 (K). Over an 8-week pre-season period, the players performed different training programs four days per week. The E1 group performed small-sided games (SSG) in combination with handball training (HT); the E2 group performed high-intensity interval training (HIIT) 15s-15s in combination with HT and the K performed only HT. The T test was used to assess the change of direction speed (CODS). Two Reactive agility tests (RAT) with a live tester and with Witty SEM lights were used to assess reactive agility. A mixed-design repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni corrected pairwise comparisons for statistic analysis.
RESULTS: The results showed that E1 and E2 groups improved CODS (P<0.001; -4.3% vs. -3.1), while in the K group, there were no enhanced (P≥0.001). Additionally, reactive agility was improved in all groups. However, the E1 group showed greater improvements in RAT with a live tester (-4.9%) compared to E2 (-2.5%) and K (-1.8%).
CONCLUSIONS: We concluded that 8-weeks of SSG in combination with HT improved reactive agility in female handball players more than HIIT 15s-15s in combination with HT and alone HT during the pre-season period.

KEY WORDS: High-intensity interval training; Physical functional performance; Exercise training