ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Handball is a high-intensity game, during which players run, change directions with or without the ball, interact with the opponent and make different decisions in both offensive and defensive actions. Players' performance may depend on a number of factors, including explosive force, power, speed and agility. Players' results may be significantly influenced by their, psychomotor abilities. This article presents an analysis of selected psychomotor abilities of female handball players at different level of competition. METHODS: Test2Drive computer tests were used. The following four tests were used to measure psychomotor abilities: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SIRT), the Choice Reaction Time Test (CHORT), the Hand-Eye Coordination Test and the Spatial Anticipation Test (SPANT). The study covered a group of 118 female handball players (average age 19.6 ± 3.16), playing in the PGNiG Polish Women's Superliga, the Polish 1st Handball League and 2nd the Polish 2nd Handball League, in the playing positions: goalkeepers, centre players, pivot players and wing players. The study also included analyses of the players' body composition and aerobic capacity through the use of the multistage 20-m shuttle run test. In addition, the players' psychomotor abilities were analysed depending on the level of competition and playing position. RESULTS: The analysis of the reaction time and movement time showed statistically significant differences between the results obtained by the female handball players on different levels of competition. Moreover the female players from the Polish Women's Superliga exhibited the fastest reaction times according to the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT. Additionally, on the basis of the linear Pearson correlation coefficient, a statistically significant relationship was determined between the players' psychomotor abilities (movement time in the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT) and elements of their body composition or aerobic capacity. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis showed that the higher the level of competition (leagues), the shorter the female handball players' reaction times. The study also revealed that the players' body mass index and percentage of fat content reassociated with movement times, while their aerobic capacity (measured in the multistage 20-m shuttle run test) had a significant influence on their reaction times. This study shows that reaction time it's one of ability which should be consider to develop in training of female handball players.
ABSTRACT
This randomized cross-over study examined the effects of typical static and dynamic stretching warm-up protocols on repeated-sprint performance. Thirteen young female handball players performed a 5 min aerobic warm-up followed by one of three stretching protocols for the lower limbs: (1) static stretching, (2) dynamic-ballistic stretching, and (3) no stretching before performing five all-out sprints on a cycle ergometer. Each protocol was performed on a different occasion, separated by 2-3 days. Range of movement (ROM) was also measured before and after the warm-up protocols with a sit-and-reach test. Fixed and random effects of each stretching protocol on repeated sprint performance were estimated with mixed linear modeling and data were evaluated via standardization and magnitude-based inferences. In comparison to no stretching, there were small increases in ROM after dynamic stretching (12.7%, ±0.7%; mean, ±90% confidence limits) and static stretching (19.2%, ±0.9%). There were small increases in the average power across all sprints with dynamic stretching relative to static stretching (3.3%, ±2.4%) and no stretching (3.0%, ±2.4%) and trivial to small increases in the average power in the 1st and 5th trials with dynamic stretching compared to static stretching (3.9%, ±2.6%; 2.6%, ±2.6%, respectively) and no stretching (2.0%, ±2.7%; 4.1%, ±2.8%, respectively). There were also trivial and small decreases in power across all sprints with static relative to dynamic stretching (-1.3%, ±2.8%) and no stretching (-3.5%, ±2.9%). Dynamic stretching improved repeated-sprint performance to a greater extent than static stretching and no stretching.
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: Body composition analysis is essential in assessing the nutritional status, as well as the risk of developing diseases associated with abnormal body fat content. At present, many methods are available to measure the amount and distribution of body fat. Among them, of particular importance are those methods that are simple, do not require expensive equipment and allow the assessment of the body composition of a large number of people (population study). However, previous observations show that they provide different results, and, therefore, further analysis and comparisons should be conducted in different age, sex and body composition groups. AIM OF THE STUDY: The goal was to compare the anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) methods used to assess body composition in young women and men. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 65 women and 109 men, physical education students, took part in the study. Average chronological age of the women was 20.5±3.1 years and men 19.9±1.4 years. Body weight, height and thickness of 4 skinfolds (SF; over the biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac) were measured. The percentage of body fat in the anthropometric method was calculated using the Durnin and Womersley's equation. Assessment of body composition was also made by the BIA method. All the measurements in every person were made on the same day. RESULTS: The mean BMI was 21.4±1.9 in women and 23.9±2.4 in men. The mean percentage of body fat obtained by anthropometric method was 16.7±7.1% in women and 10.2±6.6% in men. The amount of body fat estimated by the BIA method was higher than that calculated by skinfold thickness among female students by about 5% (p <0.001), while for male students by 3% (p <0.001). The correlation coefficients between the anthropometric method and BIA method for women and men were 0.448 (p <0.05) and 0.380 (p <0.05), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The anthropometric and BIA methods provide different results of body fat content, especially in women, so they should not be used interchangeably.
