High-Intensity Events in International Women’s Team Handball Matches

• DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2015-0641
• Publication Date: 2016-03-23T12:18:59Z
• Authors: Live S. Luteberget; Matt Spencer
• Keywords: Match play; Intensity; Team sport

Purpose: International women’s team handball is a physically demanding sport and intermittent in nature. The aim of the study was to profile high-intensity events (HIEs) international matches with regard playing positions. Methods: Twenty female national-team players were equipped inertial movement units (OptimEye S5, Catapult Sports, Australia) 9 official matches. Players categorized 4 different positions: backs, wings, pivots, goalkeepers (GKs). PlayerLoad™, accelerations (Acc), changes direction (CoD), decelerations (Dec), sum latter 3, HIEs, extracted from raw-data files using manufacturer’s software. All Acc, Dec, CoD, HIEs >2.5 m/s included. Data log-transformed differences standardized for interpretation magnitudes reported effect-size statistics. Results: Mean numbers 0.7 ± 0.4 Acc/min, 2.3 0.9 Dec/min, 1.0 CoD/min. Substantial between positions, ranging small very large, found 3 parameters. Backs showed most likely greater frequency HIE/min (5.0 1.1 HIE/min) than all other Differences positions also apparent PlayerLoad/min. Conclusion: are position specific, overall intensity depends on positional role within team. Specific HIE profiles match play provide useful information better understanding game demands each position.