Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group

Muscular strength and explosiveness are generally known as factors that affect physical performance. Physical ability modeling has a profound connection with long-term athlete development and talent identification. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in contractile charac...

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Main Authors: Milan Petronijević, Katarina Ohnjec, Milivoj Dopsaj
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-01-01
Series:Sports
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/2/27
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author Milan Petronijević
Katarina Ohnjec
Milivoj Dopsaj
author_facet Milan Petronijević
Katarina Ohnjec
Milivoj Dopsaj
author_sort Milan Petronijević
collection DOAJ
description Muscular strength and explosiveness are generally known as factors that affect physical performance. Physical ability modeling has a profound connection with long-term athlete development and talent identification. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in contractile characteristics (maximal isometric force and maximal rate of force development) among various muscle groups in youth elite female team handball players (<i>n</i> = 35, 16.6 ± 1.1 years) compared to a control group (<i>n</i> = 28, 16.7 ± 1.1 years). The following tests were performed: isometric non-dominant hand grip, isometric dominant hand grip, isometric deadlift, isometric standing leg extension, and isometric bilateral ankle extension. For each subject, the maximal isometric force and maximal rate of force development were derived from the isometric strength tests. The research analyzed a total of twenty-four variables, presented in both absolute and relative values. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences among all pairs of variables in the absolute values of maximal isometric force (Λ = 0.531, F = 10.07, <i>p</i> = 0.000) and maximal rate of force development (Λ = 0.692, F = 5.08, <i>p</i> = 0.001) between the two groups. The most significant difference was found in the grip of the dominant hand, where the impact of the difference was 43.6% and 37.0% for the absolute values of force and explosiveness. Conversely, no differences were observed between the pairs of variables representing the relative values across the two subject groups, except for the dominant hand grip relative force (<i>p</i> = 0.006). The results provide information about the contractile potentials of important muscle groups in the game of handball, which could help in adapting strength training according to the specifics of the strength and explosivity development of young female handball players.
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spelling doaj-art-7957edc3ac6b49fa9816ff41c93dec782025-08-20T02:01:24ZengMDPI AGSports2075-46632025-01-011322710.3390/sports13020027Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control GroupMilan Petronijević0Katarina Ohnjec1Milivoj Dopsaj2Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, 11221 Belgrade, SerbiaFaculty of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, CroatiaFaculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Belgrade, 11221 Belgrade, SerbiaMuscular strength and explosiveness are generally known as factors that affect physical performance. Physical ability modeling has a profound connection with long-term athlete development and talent identification. The purpose of the current study was to investigate differences in contractile characteristics (maximal isometric force and maximal rate of force development) among various muscle groups in youth elite female team handball players (<i>n</i> = 35, 16.6 ± 1.1 years) compared to a control group (<i>n</i> = 28, 16.7 ± 1.1 years). The following tests were performed: isometric non-dominant hand grip, isometric dominant hand grip, isometric deadlift, isometric standing leg extension, and isometric bilateral ankle extension. For each subject, the maximal isometric force and maximal rate of force development were derived from the isometric strength tests. The research analyzed a total of twenty-four variables, presented in both absolute and relative values. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences among all pairs of variables in the absolute values of maximal isometric force (Λ = 0.531, F = 10.07, <i>p</i> = 0.000) and maximal rate of force development (Λ = 0.692, F = 5.08, <i>p</i> = 0.001) between the two groups. The most significant difference was found in the grip of the dominant hand, where the impact of the difference was 43.6% and 37.0% for the absolute values of force and explosiveness. Conversely, no differences were observed between the pairs of variables representing the relative values across the two subject groups, except for the dominant hand grip relative force (<i>p</i> = 0.006). The results provide information about the contractile potentials of important muscle groups in the game of handball, which could help in adapting strength training according to the specifics of the strength and explosivity development of young female handball players.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/2/27contractile characteristicsbody partializationteam sportyouth athletes
spellingShingle Milan Petronijević
Katarina Ohnjec
Milivoj Dopsaj
Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
Sports
contractile characteristics
body partialization
team sport
youth athletes
title Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
title_full Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
title_fullStr Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
title_full_unstemmed Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
title_short Differences in Contractile Characteristics Among Various Muscle Groups in Youth Elite Female Team Handball Players Compared to a Control Group
title_sort differences in contractile characteristics among various muscle groups in youth elite female team handball players compared to a control group
topic contractile characteristics
body partialization
team sport
youth athletes
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-4663/13/2/27
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