Maturity Status as a Determinant of the Relationships Between Conditioning Qualities and Preplanned Agility in Young Handball Athletes

This study aimed to examine how determinants of preplanned agility are affected by the period of peak height velocity (PHV) regarding the anthropometrics and conditioning qualities in young handball players. The sample comprised 56 handball players (male; 12–14 years of age), allocated into 2 groups according to their biological age of maturity: Pre-PHV (N = 34) and Post-PHV (N = 22). Players were evaluated on handball-specific tests of preplanned agility (CODAT and T-HALF). Predictors included anthropometrics, sprinting, horizontal and vertical jumps, and reactive strength index (RSI). The reliability of the tests was appropriate (intraclass correlation coefficient: 0.87–0.95; coefficient of variation: 4.4–5.8%). In the Pre-PHV group, 67% variance of the T-HALF accounted for horizontal countermovement jump (β: −0.83, p

Source: Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research - July 26, 2018 Category: Sports Medicine Tags: Original Research Source Type: research