Relationship between Handball Players’ Lower Limb Muscle Strength and Jump Performance

Abstract

[Purpose] To clarify the relationship between handball players’ lower limb muscle strength and jump performance. [Participants and Methods] Senior high school handball players’ peak lower limb extensor torque-to-body weight ratios when performing an isokinetic closed kinetic chain exercise at an angular velocity of 60 deg/sec were calculated, and the correlations between these values and their one-leg vertical jump, alternate-leg 5 bounds, and two-leg jump were analyzed. Subsequently, differences in their muscle strength and one-leg vertical jump between their pitching and non-pitching sides were examined. [Results] Lower limb extensor strength was significantly correlated with alternate-leg 5 bounds and two-leg jump. There were no significant differences between the pitching and non-pitching sides. [Conclusion] Lower limb extensor strength when performing an isokinetic closed kinetic chain exercise may be useful for horizontal jump performance evaluation.