In team sports, the varied levels of physical demand associated with different field positions are reflected in the morphofunctional features of the players. The aim of this work was to recognize how the playing position in the team depends on the anthropometric profiles and the strength level of professional handball players. Methods: A body mass, stature, lower and upper extremity length, circumferences and skinfolds were measured in the male professional athletes. The body composition was analysed using a bioelectrical impedance method. Additionally, hand grip and back strength were measured. A statistical analysis was carried out using routinely statistic methods and principal component analysis. Results: Pivot players usually have the most athletic figure in terms of size and weight and relatively short legs. The backs are characterized by the android body type and low subcutaneous fat content, and a large mass of body cells. The backs and pivots have the same strength of back and hand grip. Goalkeepers have relatively long upper and lower limbs and high back and hand grip strength. The wingers are usually slender, have medium length limbs, low body fat percentage, significant extracellular mass and the lowest muscle strength. Conclusions: The results of the multivariate analysis were a notable and valuable addition to the study of morphological and strength differences in a group quite homogeneous like a handball team. The principal component analysis allowed for a reduction of the multidimensional structure to three variables describing body massiveness, strength, and the length and height aspect of the body.

Handball is among the disciplines that impose a significant degree of asymmetry on the body movement. The aim of the study is to assess the influence of physical effort on the occurrence of asymmetry in body musculature and in isometric strength of handball players. The study examined 36 professional handball players. Players’ height and body mass were measured as to calculate their body mass indexes (BMIs). Segmental bioelectrical impedance analysis (SBIA) was used to assess: the percentage of fat mass, total muscle mass (MM), musculature of the right and left side of the body, and body segments (trunk, upper and lower limbs). Moreover, grip strength was also measured. The assessment confirmed the existence of discrepancies in the right and left sides of players’ bodies for the majority of the parameters. Cross-asymmetry and significant bilateral discrepancies in trunk musculature were also observed. Morphological asymmetry may impact performance in sports since it can cause unfavorable functional changes, which in turn increase the risk of injury and conditions caused by overexertion. Therefore, we believe it is important to emphasize the importance of individualized symmetrization during sports practice and consistent monitoring of the asymmetries occurring in different body parts; this should both improve one’s sports results and minimize the risk of injury.

Somatic characteristics manifested in different body morphology have great importance for the selection of athletes in most sports. The aim of our study is to evaluate the differences in anthropometric variables and isometric strength of handball players presenting different levels of sports competence, and to study the discriminative power of selected morphological characteristics that do not change in the training process. The study included the results of anthropometric measurements routinely used to monitor athletes, and body proportion indices were calculated. Fat percentage was assessed using the BIA, whereas body build was assessed using the Heath-Carter method. Measurements of right and left hand grip strength and back strength were taken. The results of measurements and calculations were analyzed using statistical methods. It was shown that players presenting the highest level dominate by the overall size and massiveness of the body, characteristics ensuring an advantage in direct confrontation. The size of subcutaneous fat tissue and percentage of body fat varied poorly between athletes in each group. Muscle strength assessed under static conditions shows a gradient in magnitude across teams from higher to lower rank, but the differences are not statistically significant. The same somatotype (balanced mesomorph) was present in all groups. Athletes presenting high sports level are characterized by body proportions that determine biomechanical conditions conducive to optimizing the structure of movements important in handball. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed that throwing-related characteristics (hand length, upper arm length, upper limb span, lower limb length) account for 88% of the variance in team ranking and can be used to identify the morphological predisposition of adepts to play handball.

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