Effects of a preparatory training protocol on the movement and body stability of handball players

Rađević N,Drljačić D,Ponorac N,Simović S

doi:10.34256/ijpefs2146

Abstract

Handball is a sport with a high risk of injury, The prevalence of injury is only obtainable through a thorough and comprehensive analysis. One of the most commonly used test batteries for interpreting the characteristics of an injury is the Functional Movement Screen (FMSTM). It makes possible to possible to identify movement limitations and asymmetries which are believed to impact injury risk in sports. The aim of this study is to use the FMSTM to determine whether an eight-week training protocol can predict and prevent injuries in handball. The study sample comprised the fifteen members of the Borac handball club youth team. The initial measurement showed that most players (80%) had an overall score in the test battery ranging from 15 to 20 points. In addition, three players were found to have asymmetry. Only one of the three players had an overall score in the FMSTM of ≤14. The participants scored the lowest in the initial measurement for Rotary Stability, followed by Deep Squat and Hurdle Step Left. They scored the highest in the Shoulder Mobility. After the implementation of the exercise protocol for improving body mobility and stability, the final measurements showed that all the participants had an overall score in the FMSTM of >14. The value of eta squared showed that training in between the two measurements had a significant impact. At the time of testing and protocol implementation no players sustained any injuries during matches or in training. This study confirmed that the FMSTM can be used to predict injuries in sports.

Highlights

Modern training technology has become an integral part of the daily routines set by conditioning coaches
A moderate to high improvement in these subtests induced by training activities can be explained by the fact that the results of these tests were already satisfying already in the initial measurement, so there was no reason to expect that they will improve to the point where they would be statistically significant
Unlike for the general population, for young handball players it was in these tests that they had satisfactorily functional movement patterns

Summary

Introduction

Modern training technology has become an integral part of the daily routines set by conditioning coaches. Prospective studies have identified several internal factors which increase the risk of sport injuries, including prior injuries, ligament laxity, limited movement range, low level of aerobic fitness or muscular strength, poor balance and lower level of prior physical activity or training [5,6,7,8,9]. Even though these factors are often studied separately, it is likely that there are multiple factors in the risk of injury. Sports medicine researchers need to determine how an athlete performs specific movement patterns in a particular sport, because it is believed that improper movement patterns and biomechanical faults often contribute to muscular and skeletal injuries in sports [6, 8, 10,11,12]

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