Traditional versus resisted sprint training in highly-trained, female team handball players: effects on performance and muscle architecture

摘要

Physical factors are an important aspect of handball, however, research regardingtraining methods for handball players are scare. Resisted sprint training is a methodoften used to improve acceleration, an important factor for performance in handball.The purpose of this master thesis is to compare the effects of resistance sprint training(RST) against traditionally sprint training (TST) in semi-professional, female handballplayers on sprint performance, and to determine whether these effects are reflected inmuscle architectural measurements.A group of semi-professional female handball players (n=18) was assigned to eitherRST group (sled towing, with 12.4±0.2 % of body mass) or TST group matched on 10-m sprint performance. The participants completed two sprint sessions per week for 10weeks. Sessions included 10-m and 20-m sprints, with a total sprint distance of 240-280m per session, equal for both groups. Sprint tests (10-m and 30-m), vertical andhorizontal jumps, 20-m shuttle run test and muscle architecture were performed pre- andpost-training.Beneficial effects were found in 30-m sprint test for both groups (TST=-0.31±0.19 s,RST=-0.16±0.13 s; mean±90% CL). Only TST had a beneficial effect on 10-m time(-0.04±0.04 s, ES=0.51). Pennation angle decreased for both groups (-6.0 % ± 3.3 ES:0.38 for TST and -2.8 % ± 2.0 ES: 0.19 for RST), which had a nearly perfect correlationwith percentage change in sprint performance (r=0.92). A small increase in fasciclelength (5.3±3.9 %, ES=0.26 and 4.0±2.1 %, ES=0.46 for TST and RST, respectively)was also found. Both groups obtained a small beneficial effect for agility performance(TST: -1.7 ± 1.9 %, ES=0.46 and RST: 1.2 ± 0.8 %, ES=0.28)Sprint training was highly effective in enhancing short distance (10-30 m) sprints infemale handball players, and TST appeared to be more effective than RST. A similar,yet small, effect of sprint training on muscle architecture was observed in both groups,possibly reflecting velocity-specific adaptation, present in concurrently training athletes.