Can Body Fat Percentage, Body Mass Index, and Specific Field Tests Explain Throwing Ball Velocity in Team Handball Players?

Lawrence D Hayes,René Schwesig,Souhail Hermassi

doi:10.3390/app11083492

Abstract

This study examined the physical fitness, anthropometry, and throwing velocity of normal weight and overweight male team handball players. Twenty-five players from the Qatar handball first professional league participated. The anthropometry and physical performance—yo-yo intermittent recovery test, jumping ability (squat and countermovement jumps (SJ and CMJ)), T-half test for change-of-direction (COD) ability, sprint tests (15 and 30 m), and 3 kg medicine ball overhead throw—was measured. The handball-throwing velocity was measured using a three-step running shot and a jump shot. Only the CMJ (p = 0.016, ηp2 = 0.227) was different between the normal and overweight subjects. Two-step linear regression analysis using body height and body mass (step 1) and percentage body fat (%BF) (step 2) predictors showed an increase in the explained variance by adding %BF. The largest r2 change was calculated for COD (0.53). The predictive ability was observed for CMJ (step 1: r2 = 0.18, step 2: r2 = 0.22) and SJ (step 1: r2 = 0.05, step 2: r2 = 0.09). With the exception of the sprint parameters (β-coefficient 15 m sprint: −0.07; β-coefficient 30 m sprint: −0.06) and COD (β-coefficient: −0.09), a lower %BF was associated with greater performance in all parameters. %BF seems to be important for predicting sprint and agility performance.

Highlights

Team handball is a contact sport with short epochs of high-intensity movement, challenging anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, and changes of direction [1,2,3]
With regard to body composition, team handball players have recently been described in terms of body mass, stature, body fat percentage (%BF), and body mass index (BMI) [2,9]
The aims of this study were to (a) describe and compare the anthropometric and physical performance stratification based on BMI and (b) evaluate the association between BMI and

Summary

Introduction

Team handball is a contact sport with short epochs of high-intensity movement, challenging anaerobic and aerobic metabolism, and changes of direction [1,2,3]. Throwing is a fundamental skill and handball coaches and scientists concur that the main determinants of throwing velocity are the strength and power of both the upper and lower limbs, technique, and timing of movement in consecutive body segments [7,8]. With regard to body composition, team handball players have recently been described in terms of body mass, stature, body fat percentage (%BF), and body mass index (BMI) [2,9]. These authors propose that anthropometry may be related to physical fitness in team sports [1,2,3,4,5,6,7]

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Conclusion