Author(s): OSBORNE, J., PEDERSEN, S., PETTERSEN, S.A., WELDE, B., ANDERSSON, E.P., Institution: UIT - THE ARCTIC UNIVERSITY OF NORWAY, Country: NORWAY, Abstract-ID: 1514

INTRODUCTION:
Handball is popular team-sport, defined by rapid changes-of-direction, high-intensity sprints, acceleration, and shooting.1 Coaches and sports scientists often assess the athletic performance of handball players via testing various physiological components, such as neuromuscular power, strength, agility, and speed. However, there is limited data available to support the consistency and reproducibility (i.e., test-retest reliability) of these tests in female handball players, as the majority of previous research has instead focused on males. Due to the anthropometric and physical differences between the sexes, as well as the potential confounding influence of the menstrual cycle, it is important to establish specific normative reliability data for female handball players. Therefore, the present study aimed assess the test-retest reliability of various athletic tests in a cohort of female handball players, with a further sub analysis conducted for non-hormonal contraceptive using players (PlayersNC).
METHODS:
Eighteen female Norwegian handball players (PlayersNC: n = 8) undertook an athletic test battery on three separate occasions across a single menstrual cycle (PlayersNC) or approximately one month (all other players). The test battery included: 1-repetition back squat, maximal handgrip strength, counter-movement jumps (CMJ), squat jumps, modified agility T-test, and 15 m sprint. Statistical analysis for test reliability included: intraclass correlations [ICC], minimum difference, standard error of measurement [SEM], and coefficient of variation.
RESULTS:
The test data demonstrated good-to-excellent test-retest reliability for all measured variables (ICC2,1 = .82 to .94), although maximal squat jumps were found to be somewhat lower reliability (ICC2,1 = .75). The subgroup analysis for NM players also indicated a consistently high reliability for all performance tests (ICC2,1 = .83 to .74).
CONCLUSION:
In conclusion, these reliability data support the periodic use of the aforementioned performance tests in routine handball player assessments, in order to identify changes in athletic performance and to monitor player progress. As test reliability was also not notably influenced by the menstrual cycle phase, coaches and sports scientists can schedule testing sessions for all athletes, without concern of a considerable confounding effect from the menstrual cycle.

1. Michalsik, L. B., and P. Aagaard. ‘Physical Demands in Elite Team Handball: Comparisons between Male and Female Players’. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness 55, no. 9 (September 2015): 878–91.