ORIGINAL ARTICLE  EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOMECHANICS 

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 2024 April;64(4):355-62

DOI: 10.23736/S0022-4707.23.15530-7

Copyright © 2023 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Reliability of a handball specific strength test battery and the association with sprint and throwing performance in young handball players

María D. MORENAS-AGUILAR ^{1, 2}, Angela RODRIGUEZ-PEREA ^{1, 2} ✉, Luis J. CHIROSA-RIOS ^{1, 2}, Daniel JEREZ-MAYORGA ^{1, 2, 3}, Helena VILA ⁴, Aldo B. AVALOS SOLITARIO ⁵, Diego SOTO-GARCÍA ⁶

¹ Department of Physical Education and Sports, Faculty of Sports Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; ² CTS-642 Research Group, Department Physical Education and Sports, Laboratory of Strength and Conditioning, Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; ³ School of Physical Therapy, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago de Chile, Chile; ⁴ Healthy Fit Research Group, Faculty of Education and Sport Sciences, Sergas-UVIGO, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Spain; ⁵ Department Physical and Sport Education, University of León, León, Spain; ⁶ AMRED Research Group, Department of Physical and Sport Education, University of León, León, Spain

BACKGROUND: A greater motivation for coaches to be more involved in assessment could be the development of specific strength tests closer to specific handball tasks. Therefore, the aims were to determine the reliability of a handball specific strength test battery in young handball players using a functional electromechanical dynamometer (FEMD) and to evaluate the association between the strength test battery and performance measurements.
METHODS: Thirty-two young handball players (25% males and 75% females) performed a repeated-measurement design over four weeks. The players conducted one session per week, with each measurement consisting of two isometric tests to obtain isometric peak force, and four incremental tests. Moreover, performance handball tests (sprint and throwing velocity [TV]) were recorded.
RESULTS: The reliability of the whole handball specific strength tests was very high for the peak and mean strength (ICC=0.70-0.85; CV=8.49-13.99; SEM=0.44-0.67 kg). The step forward had a moderate association with 5 to 10 meters’ time. The highest correlation between TVmean was found with the peak strength of standing lift and between TVpeak with peak strength of unilateral throw. The sprint total time could be explained by Body Mass Index and peak strength of the standing lift in the 40% and the TVpeak could be explained by arm span and mean strength of the standing lift in the 68%.
CONCLUSIONS: The high reliability for all exercises and the significant correlation with handball performance (sprint time and TV) allow us to include these tests in handball team evaluation and training.

KEY WORDS: Adolescent; Muscle strength dynamometer; Physical education and training; Sports; Athletic performance