The purpose of this study was to identify the anthropometric and fitness variables that allows distinguishing handball players with different performance level. A total of 210 male handball players (age, 23.73 ±5.25 years) participated in this study divided into five groups: (1) top elite (TE, n=41); (2) moderate elite (ME, n=53); (3) sub elite (SE, n=35); (4) moderate trained (MT, n=32); (5) next21 (n=49). Two anthropometric measures were taken from each player, i.e., body mass (in kg) and stature (in cm). Fitness profiling considered 18 variables: 30-m sprint time (30-m, s); (2) Squat jump (SJ) and countermovement (CMJ) height, height ratio and Pavg; (3) SJ adapted to arms (SJA) and CMJ adapted to arms (CMJA), height and height ratio; (4) Handgrip indices, namely dominant, non-dominant, mean score of dominant and non-dominant (mean) and difference between dominant and non-dominant; (5) Number of executions (#) in sit-up test (in 60-s); (6) Distance (m) and the position (1, <1000-m; 2, [1000-m;1300-m[; 3, [1300-m;1600-m[; 4, .1600-m) in Yo-Yo Intermittent Endurance Test - Level 2 (Yo-Yo IE2). It was observed that sprint time in 30-m, performance in CMJ, average power in CMJ, abdominal strength and the position in Yo-Yo IE2 measures best dicriminated between five playing status groups. Results also showed that the position in the Yo-Yo IE2, sit up and speed (i.e., sprint time in 30-m), more clearly distinguished between groups, and classification results showed that 48.3% of original group cases (and 41.5% of cross-validated grouped cases) were correctly classified.Sprint performance can be considered an important fitness component of handball physical performance and, probably, it is correlated to high intensity activity during actual match-play. Moreover, the ability to repeatedly perform intense intermittent exercise also discriminated playing status groups in handball players, and suggests that: (1) the training of "lower" playing status team's coaches may have favoured resistance training over the training capacity in the anaerobic metabolism is predominant, or (2) this may be explained not by lack of training capacity, but said with issues related to the recovery of players after training or competitions. Nevertheless, the functional capacity seems to be associated with the competitive level of the subjects.
© Copyright 2012 The biomedical basis of elite performance. 19-21 March 2012, London, UK. Abstracts & Manuscripts. Veröffentlicht von The Physiological Society. Alle Rechte vorbehalten.