Effect of an 8-week combined isometric-plyometric and sprint training programme on the physical performance of junior handball players

Abstract

Handball is an Olympic sport played worldwide with approximately 18 million players in over 150 international federations(Raeder, Fernandez-Fernandez, & Ferrauti, 2015). From a physical point of view, handball is an intermittent and vigorous contact sport requiring high intensity efforts in a short duration where players jump, run and throw the ball at high speed, followed by a very short rest period (Gorostiaga, Granados, Ibañez, González-Badillo, & Izquierdo, 2006). On the other hand, the combination of a high demand for muscular strength and power with a well-developed aerobic capacity (i.e. relatively high oxygen consumption) will allow better recovery during periods of low intensity or rest, which is decisive for the success of top-level handball players(Granados, Izquierdo, Ibáñez, Ruesta, & Gorostiaga, 2013).