External Load Analysis in Beach Handball Using a Local Positioning System and Inertial Measurement Units

A Global Positioning System Used to Monitor the Physical Performance of Elite Beach Handball Referees in a Spanish Championship

Beach handball is a fully developed sporting discipline on all five continents which has attracted the attention of researchers in the last decade, resulting in a proliferation of different studies focusing on players but not on referees. The main objective of this cross-sectional research was to determine the physical demands on elite male beach handball referees in four different competitions: U18 male; U18 female; senior male; and senior female. Twelve elite federated male referees (age: 30.86 ± 8 years; body height: 175.72 ± 4.51 cm; body weight: 80.18 ± 17.99 kg; fat percentage: 20.1 ± 4.41%; national or international experience) belonging to the Technical Committee of the Royal Spanish Handball Federation were recruited for this the study. The physical demands required of referees in official matches were measured by installing a GPS device. The sampling frequency used to record their speed and distance was 15 Hz. A triaxial accelerometer (100 Hz) was used to determine their acceleration. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) between competitions with post hoc comparisons using the Bonferroni adjustment was used to compare among categories. A higher distance covered in zone 1 and speeds of 0 to 6 km-h-1 were recorded. Most accelerations and decelerations occurred in zones 0 and 1 (zone 0: 0 to 1 m·s-2; zone 1: 1 to 2 m·s-2). The lack of differences (p > 0.05) between most analysed variables suggest quite similar physical demands of the four analysed competitions. These results provide relevant information to design optimal training plans oriented to the real physical demands on referees in an official competition.

Hang-Time HAR: A Benchmark Dataset for Basketball Activity Recognition Using Wrist-Worn Inertial Sensors

We present a benchmark dataset for evaluating physical human activity recognition methods from wrist-worn sensors, for the specific setting of basketball training, drills, and games. Basketball activities lend themselves well for measurement by wrist-worn inertial sensors, and systems that are able to detect such sport-relevant activities could be used in applications of game analysis, guided training, and personal physical activity tracking. The dataset was recorded from two teams in separate countries (USA and Germany) with a total of 24 players who wore an inertial sensor on their wrist, during both a repetitive basketball training session and a game. Particular features of this dataset include an inherent variance through cultural differences in game rules and styles as the data was recorded in two countries, as well as different sport skill levels since the participants were heterogeneous in terms of prior basketball experience. We illustrate the dataset's features in several time-series analyses and report on a baseline classification performance study with two state-of-the-art deep learning architectures.

Physical Demands during Official Competitions in Elite Handball: A Systematic Review

An understanding of physical demands during official competitions is essential to achieving the highest performance in handball. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise the available scientific evidence associated with physical demands during official competitions in elite handball according to playing positions, competition level and gender. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, 17 studies were selected after a systematic search and selection process of three digital databases: PubMed, Web of Science and Sport Discus. The quality of the selected studies was evaluated using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology checklist; the average score was 18.47 points. The sample consisted of 1175 handball players, of whom 1042 were men (88.68%) and 133 were women (11.32%). The results show that an elite handball player covered on average 3664.4 ± 1121.6 m during a match. The average running pace was 84.8 ± 17.2 m∙min-1. The total distance covered was largely greater in national competitions (4506.7 ± 647.9 m) compared with international competitions (2190.3 ± 1950.5 m) (effect size (ES) = 1.2); however, the running pace did not present any significant difference between the international or national level (ES = 0.06). In regard to gender, the total distance covered was moderately greater in female competitions (4549.1 ± 758.6 m) compared with male competitions (3332.6 ± 1257.7 m) (ES = 0.9), and the running pace was largely greater in female competitions (110.5 ± 7.2 m∙min-1) compared with male competitions (78.4 ± 19.7 m∙min-1) (ES = 1.6). In relation to playing position, backs and wings covered a moderately greater total distance (ES = 0.7 and 0.6) and slightly more meters per minute (ES = 0.4 and 0.2) than pivots. Moreover, the technical activity profile differed between playing positions. Backs performed moderately more throws than pivots and wings (ES = 1.2 and 0.9), pivots exhibited largely more body contact than backs and wings, and wings performed moderately more fast breaks (6.7 ± 3.0) than backs (2.2 ± 2.3) (ES = 1.8). Therefore, this research study provides practical applications for handball coaches and strength and conditioning professionals with respect to designing and implementing more individualised training programmes to maximise performance and reduce injury risk.

Professional Male Beach Handball Players Performance Profile

Beach handball is a sport that has seen an increase in the number of players in the last decade. The aim of the study was to evaluate the basic measures of body composition, maturation, performance outcomes and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet of professional beach handball players, as a function of category (junior vs. senior) and playing positions. Thirty-six professional beach handball players participated in the study: 18 seniors (age: 25.0 ± 5.19) and 18 juniors (age: 16.7 ± 0.46); Each player’s body composition and different sports performance variables were analysed using the CMJ test, the Abalakov test, the Yo-Yo Test IR1 and the handgrip test. The Mediterranean diet Adherence was analysed using the KIDMED questionnaire. Significant differences are observed for all performance variables, with the values of senior players being higher in all cases (p < 0.005). Moreover, the adherence to the Mediterranean diet is moderate. Positive correlations were observed between the CMJ and weight (p = 0.012) and the CMJ and the BMI (p = 0.003). The same was observed for the Abalakov test, with p = 0.004 for weight and p = 0.001 for the BMI. Regarding the dynamometry, it positively correlates with the height (p = 0.002), the sitting height (p = 0.008), wingspan (p < 0.001) and weight (p = 0.011). The opposite occurred with the Yo-Yo Test and the KIDMED variables. Conclusions: One aspect to improve, as a key performance factor, would be the adherence to the Mediterranean diet for both categories. Players with a better adherence, achieved better results in the performance tests.

Optimizing the transition from the indoor to the beach season improves motor performance in elite beach handball players

Beach handball athletes experience an overlap during their preparation phase for the beach and the indoor season for several weeks. This transition phase from playing on an indoor surface to a sand surface is crucial for players’ performance levels both on the sand and indoor surfaces, but coaches and athletes alike are concerned about possible performance impairments when training on a sand surface while still playing indoors. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the effects of a specific transition phase from the indoor to the beach season in elite beach handball athletes. With 29 elite athletes participating in the study, we evaluated their jumping (countermovement and drop jump) and sprinting (5–10–20 m) performances and conducted a handball-specific agility test on both rigid and sand surfaces. In addition, we evaluated a drop long jump on a sand surface. Vertical jumping performance was analyzed using a 3D marker-based system on both rigid and sand surfaces under standardized laboratory conditions. All tests took place directly before and after a 6-week intervention program. The results showed that athletes in the intervention group significantly improved their performance in jumping (countermovement and drop long jump) compared to the control group. Furthermore, performance on a rigid surface was not only maintained for all tests but also significantly increased for the countermovement jump. Therefore, the intervention program is effective at improving performance during the transition from indoor to beach seasons without impairing indoor performance.