Abstract
Background: Effective training depends on knowledge of the sport's requirements. Physical (external load) and physiological (internal load) analyses will provide valuable data that can be used for other research and to improve specific training requirements. Handball is an intermittent sport game, and it is important discover the factors, that affect the performance in a handball match. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze and compare motion and heart rate of playing positions of female handball players during competitive matches.Methods: Heart rate and motion-time analyses were examined during six competitive matches of the Czech elite female handball league (U19). The average (± SD) age of the fourteen participants was 17.9 ± 0.3 years; their average weight 65.4 ± 6.9 kg, and their average height was 169.6 ± 6.9 cm. Results: During the matches, the longest average distance was covered by backs (7,138.3 ± 334.4 m), followed by wings (6,915.3 ± 362.2 m) and pivots (6,337.1 ± 477.3 m). A statistically significant difference was found only between backs and pivots (p = .01). The average heart rate of players in the most loaded position, pivots, was 185.3 ± 9.2 beats ⋅ min-1, corresponding to 90.1 ± 4.3% of HRmax. The second most loaded playing position were wings with the average heart rate of 183.8 ± 6.2 beats ⋅ min-1, corresponding to 89.9 ± 3.5% of HRmax. The average heart rate of backs was 182.9 ± 8.4 beats ⋅ min-1, corresponding to 89.2 ± 4.4% of HRmax. Conclusions: The results from the presented study show that handball is a game of intermittent high intensity and physiological profile where more than 80% of each game is spent in load-intensity above 85% HRmax. Between playing positions are differences in intensity of load, covered distance and in speed categories.
Highlights
Handball is an Olympic sport, played throughout the world
This study focuses on two aspects: physiological response by means of telemetry to record heart rate (HR) and time-motion analyses of the players by means of the software Video Manual Motion Tracker 1.0
Distances covered The longest distance during the matches was covered by backs 7,138.3 ± 334.4 m, i.e. 119.4 ± 6.1 m ⋅ min–1
Summary
Handball is an Olympic sport, played throughout the world. Handball has its own style that includes aspects of other sports, such as basketball, football, and hockey. There are six different playing positions on the court, based on a player’s location on the Knowledge of the game’s demands is essential for the design of handball-specific training drills in both professional and developing players. To develop their full potential, promising players need to be provided with the most appropriate learning environments, including well designed technical, tactical, and handball-specific physical (e.g., strength, speed, and endurance) development programmes (Karcher & Buchheit, 2014). The average heart rate of players in the most loaded position, pivots, was 185.3 ± 9.2 beats ⋅ min–1, corresponding to 90.1 ± 4.3% of HRmax. Between playing positions are differences in intensity of load, covered distance and in speed categories
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