The influence of basic body and hand anthropometry on the results of different throwing tests in young handball and basketball players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between basic body and specific hand anthropometric parameters with some specific and non-specific throw test results in young male handball and basketball players. The subjects included 34 handball and 38 basketball players of the 10-11 years old age group, 39 handball and 22 basketball players of the 12-13 years old age group and 39 handball players of the 14-15 years old age group. Body height and body mass, arms' span, height with outstretched hands and sitting height were the basic anthropometric parameters to be measured. For hand anthropometry, 15 specific hand parameters were measured using the method presented by Visnapuu & Jürimäe (2007). Stepwise multiple regression analysis indicated that medicine ball throw results in the youngest age group are highly dependent on the body height (handball players) and body mass (basketball players). In the middle age group, the most important parameter from the hand anthropometry is TL (handball) or height with outstretched hands (basketball). In the oldest group of handball players, the medicine ball throw results were dependent on the P2 from hand anthropometry and sitting height. Quite different anthropometric parameters appeared to influence the handball or basketball throw results. In the youngest age group, most important were body height (handball) or LFL (basketball). In the middle age group, the most important was height with outstretched hands and in the oldest handball players LFL and sitting height. Handball or basketball pass on speed depended on the combination of body mass and FS5 and body height with height with outstretched hands (even 61.40%, R2 x 100) in the oldest age group. The results of passing the handball or basketball on precision were dependent on body height and P3 or P1 among basketball players in the youngest group. In the middle age group the combination of FS3 and body mass and LFL and height with outstretched hands were the most influential. Anthropometric parameters influence on the passing of the ball on speed or precision is lower in handball players compared with basketball players. Our conclusion is that the basic anthropometric parameters are slightly more important than hand anthropometry that influenced different throw tests results in young handball and basketball players.