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Handball is a body-contact Olympic ball sport that is characterized by fast-paced defensive and offensive actions. Players must coordinate explosive movements (e.g. changing of direction) and handball-specific skills (e.g. passing). Maximizing performance requires a systematic approach to training that includes physical, psychological, technical, and tactical preparation. Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the effects of movement-based (MOV; unspecific sport stimulus) or game-based (GAM; sport-specific stimulus) flywheel resistance training intervention in highly trained youth handball players. Method: Twenty-five highly trained youth male handball players completed two sessions per week of flywheel resistance training (MOV, n  = 12; GAM, n  = 13) over the 7-week intervention period. Change-of-direction tests (180º change-of-direction speed test of both legs and test) and handball-throwing test were conducted before and after the intervention. Results: Both groups significantly improved V -cut, and 180º Change-of-direction speed test performance ( p  < .05; d  = 0.79-2.05). Notwithstanding, the GAM group demonstrated greater improvements in V -cut and COD180 ASY compared with the MOV group ( p  < .05) with small effect. Handball throwing speed performance remained unchanged independently of training condition ( p  > .05). Conclusions: These findings provide further support for the training principle of "specificity" and highlight the importance of including a game-based training stimulus during resistance training. This is a key consideration for coaches wanting to enhance physical performance in youth handball players.

The relationships between asymmetries and performance or the identification of the asymmetry profile that has been routinely studied during jumping tests are largely derived from male-only and small sample size studies. Therefore, the aims of this study were: 1) to evaluate the magnitude and the direction of jump asymmetries (vertical and lateral) in three different age groups of adolescent female handball players, and 2) to identify the effect of asymmetry between limbs on jump performance in the three age groups. One hundred and eighty-five adolescent female handball players (age: 14.88 ± 1.49 years) were distributed in three groups: U14, U16 and U18 and performed two tests to assess jumping ability which were the single leg countermovement jump (SL-CMJ) and the single leg hop lateral (SL-HL). The magnitude of asymmetry in the SL-CMJ test (10.80%) was higher compared to that of the SL-LH test (6.47%), and there were no significant differences between particular categories. The direction of asymmetry represented by the Kappa values showed "poor" and "fair" levels of agreement in U14 and U16 categories, which means that asymmetries rarely favored the same side during each jumping test, but in contrast, in the U18 category the Kappa value result was "slight". There were significant correlations between SL-CMJ jumping asymmetries and jumping performance in the U18 category (r = 0.31 to 0.49). These data indicate that in order to identify the player's asymmetry profile, we need to consider the magnitude and the direction of different tests which will help better understand the natural deficits, contextualize them and consider appropriate training interventions for the reduction of inter-limb asymmetries., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © Academy of Physical Education in Katowice.)

Purpose: Change of direction while dribbling appears to be of interest for on-court performance in basketball. The study aim was to assess the validity and reliability of the V-cut dribbling test (VcutBk) in young basketball players., Methods: Ninety-two young basketball players from 8 to 21 years old (74% male) were classified in relation to peak height velocity (PHV) offset. To examine validity and test-retest reliability, VcutBk was performed in 2 identical sessions separated by 1 week. Participants also performed the V-cut test and linear sprint test with and without dribbling to analyze correlations between tests in different somatic maturity stages., Results: The relationships of the VcutBk with the other tests and skill-time-related deficits were interpreted from large (r > .51) to very large (r > .71). The comparisons between pre-PHV and post-PHV groups of basketball players showed significant and large effect in the VcutBk (d = 2.04; mean difference = 2.59; 95% CI, 1.86 to 3.32). Also, significant main effects when comparing PHV groups were reported in all skill-time-related deficits (P < .001, ηp2=.13-.28, moderate to large effect size). Test-retest reliability and signal-to-noise ratio analysis did not show substantial between-trials differences in VcutBk. Reliability scores showed high intraclass correlation coefficient (.95) and low coefficient of variation (0.23%)., Conclusions: The VcutBk seems to be a valid and reliable test to assess change of direction while dribbling. VcutBk performance and skill-time-related deficits seem to be sensitive to somatic maturity. Basketball coaches should consider the VcutBk to assess young basketball players.

Abstract: Madruga-Parera, M, Bishop, C, Fort-Vanmeerhaeghe, A, Beato, M, Gonzalo-Skok, O, and Romero-Rodríguez, D. Effects of 8-weeks of Isoinertial vs. Cable-resistance Training on Motor Skills Performance and Interlimb Asymmetries. J Strength Cond Res 36(5): 1200-1208, 2022-The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks of isoinertial vs. cable-resistance training on motor skills performance and interlimb asymmetries in handball players. Thirty-four young male handball players (mean ± SD: age: 15.96 ± 1.39 years; height: 1.74 ± 0.73 m; body mass: 70.5 ± 13.3 kg) participated in a randomized trial. The players performed an isoinertial program using a portable flywheel device or a cable-resistance device. Performance variations and interlimb asymmetries in dominant (D) and nondominant (ND) limb means of the unilateral countermovement jump (UCMJ), the unilateral lateral jump (ULJ), the unilateral broad jump (UBJ), handball throwing (HT), change of direction speed (COD180), the linear sprint (S20), the V-CUT test, and the repeated change of direction (RCOD) were recorded. Significant interactions were shown in RCODD (p = 0.003, ηp = 0.25), HT (p = 0.015, ηp = 0.17) and UCMJASY (p = 0.037, ηp = 0.13). Post-hoc testing revealed higher effect sizes in the isoinertial group (p < 0.05) for the performance improvements in RCODD (-1.35 large vs. -0.22, small) and HT (0.88, moderate vs. 0.00, trivial), in addition to interlimb asymmetry reductions in UCMJASY (-0.70 moderate vs. -0.32, small). Significant main effects of time in COD180, RCOD, UCMJ, and UBJ for both limbs (p < 0.05, from moderate to large effect size), and in ULJND (p < 0.001, large), UCMJASY (p < 0.001, moderate), V-CUT (p = 0.014, small), and HT (p = 0.015, large) were found. The effect sizes revealed greater magnitudes in the isoinertial group. In conclusion, although both resistance training programs improve players' to physical performance and reduce interlimb asymmetries, greater improvements were recorded with the isoinertial resistance training than with the cable-resistance methodology., (Copyright © 2020 National Strength and Conditioning Association.)

The aim of this study is to investigate inter-tester and intra-tester reliability of a novel clam test (CLAMT) for the measurement of gluteal muscle strength and to detect possible differences between CLAMT values in football players with and without a history of groin injuries. Twenty male football players participated in the test-retest and sixty-two male professional football players participated in the case-control study. Hip abductor maximal muscle strength was evaluated either using CLAMT or in a supine position with the hip in a neutral pose. For CLAMT, intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) for inter-tester-intra-day reliability was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.60-0.90), with a standard error of measurement of 34.2 N. The intra-tester-intra-day ICC was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.87-0.95), with a standard error of measurement of 23.6 N. The inter-week ICC was 0.96 (95% CI: 0.92-0.98), with a standard error of measurement of 18.9 N. CLAMT showed lower (but not significant) strength values in football players with a history of groin injuries to non-injured players. CLAMT showed good to excellent levels of reliability, intraday and inter-week, with low standard errors of measurement while it was effective ( possible ) to identify residual weakness in players with previous groin injuries.