Relationships between Isokinetic Muscle Strength and Volume of Upper and Lower Extremity Muscles and Throwing Velocity in Handball Players

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between the maximum isokinetic strength and volume of the lower and upper extremity muscles and the throwing velocity in handball players. Twenty male handball players volunteered for the investigation (20.1 ± 1.4 years). They were instructed to throw a handball as fast as possible toward an official goal, using 7-m throw, three-step running throw, and jump throw. The ball-throwing velocity was determined using a Doppler-radar gun. Each player’s body composition was measured using a bioelectrical impedance data acquisition system. The dynamic muscle strengths of their limbs’ extensor and flexor and shoulder diagonal movements were measured at low angular velocities using a Biodex system 3 dynamometer. The characteristics of 7-m throw were similar to those of the three-step running throw. A characteristic of the jump throw was the correlations between the ball-throwing velocity and the volume of thigh muscle and strength of the hip extension. In conclusion, the present findings demonstrated that the handball players used two different strategies, the run-up and floor contact, which caused ball velocity differences.