Somatic characteristics and body composition in Czech sub-elite female handball players

The somatic parameters and body composition are important indicators of physical fitness and general health not only non-athletes, but of athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the somatic characteristics and body composition in 15 Czech sub-elite female handball players (age 21.5 ± 1.8 years, body height 170.5 ± 6.6 cm, body weight 64.7 ± 10.2 kg, BMI 22.2 ± 2.9 kg m−2). Body composition was measured by a multifrequency bioimpedance method Tanita MC-980 (Tanita Europe BV). The monitored parameters were the following: fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), bone mass (BM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW) and segmental analysis of muscle distribution. In our female group, we recorded the mean value of FM = 21.5 ± 5.4% (14.3  ±  5.7  kg), FFM = 50.4 ± 5.9 kg, muscle mass = 47.9 ± 5.6 kg, bone mass = 2.6 ± 0.3 kg, TBW = 56.2 ± 3.2% (36.2 ± 4.8 kg), ICW = 22.6 ± 3.5 kg, ECW = 13.6 ± 1.3 kg. Monitoring of muscle distribution in the extremities showed a significant difference in upper extremities (p < 0.05, ES < 0.2) and in lower extremities (p < 0.05, ES < 0.2). Our results confirm on previous data about the presence of anthropometric differences and body composition differences between individual players in handball team.


INTRODUCTION
Since the 1960s, handball has established itself as one of the most popular team sports (Clanton, & Dwight, 1997). Professional and amateur handball is played in countries on every continent. World championships, continental championships, and international tournaments in handball take place regularly. Handball has been played in Olympic competition since the 1972 Games in Munich. According to the International Handball Federation, team handball is a fast-paced game involving two teams of seven players. Handball is therefore a contact sport where jumping, running, and arm throwing are prominent features of performance.
In modern elite sports based on the scientific approach to the training process, athletes have been ever more aligned according to their motor, morphological and functional characteristics, thus psychological features becoming ever more important for achievement of top results. In complex kinesiologic activities such as sport games, successful performance is determined by a number of factors, first of all by anthropologic features of the players (Rogulj, Srhoj, Nazor, Srhoj, & Cavala, 2005). The physical and physiological characteristics are to some extent affected by the anthropometric characteristics of athletes (Čavala, Rogulj, Srhoj, Srhoj, & Katić, 2008;Chaouachi et al., 2009;Visnapuu, & Jürimäe, 2009). The topic of body composition in sport reguires a great deal of attention. Body composition is often viewed as central to success in sport at many levels. Although the two-compartment model of body composition (body weight = fat-free mass [FFM] + fat mass [FM]) was used in many early studies of body composition among athletes, often with a specific focus on estimates of relative FM (%), body composition can be approached at several levels and advances in technology and methods have facilitated other assessment FFM (amount body water, muscle, bone etc.) (Malina, 2007). Body composition has been long known to be relevant to performance in sport, with special attention being paid to the total and regional proportions of fat and muscle (Leedy, Ismail, Kessler, & Christian, 1965). Morphological characteristics of the body certainly have a great influence on an outstanding performance in handball (Šibila, & Pori, 2009). Excessive adipose tissue acts as a dead weight in activities where the body mass must be repeatedly lifted against gravity during locomotion and jumping (Reilly, & Doran, 1996). Studies of various authors deal with somatic characteristics and their relation to performance not only in males, but also in females (Carvalho, Mourão, & Abade, 2014;Cichy et al., 2020;Chaouachi et al., 2009;Čavala et al., 2008;Malá, Malý, Záhalka, & Bunc, 2010;Malá, Malý, Zahálka, Tůma, & Bunc, Malá, 2011;Malý, Zahálka, Tůma, & Teplan, 2012;Milanese et al., 2011;Rogulj et al., 2005;Šibila, & Pori, 2009;Visnapuu & Jürimäe, 2009 etc.).
The aim of this study was to determine the somatic characteristics and body composition in 15 Czech sub-elite female handball players.

Subjects
This study contained total amount of 15 in sub-elite female handball players, in the age range of 19-25 years. The average duration of training practice for the monitored players was 6 years. This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Faculty of Physical Education and Sport, Charles University (reference number 177/2017) and measurements were performed according to the ethical standards of the Helsinki Declaration. The subjects were fully informed in advance regarding the objectives of the study, the study methods involted no risks, and written informed consent was obtained from each subject for participation in this study. All measurements were taken at the beginning of the competitive season in October. During the pre-season, sub-elite players had been training three sessions a week, 2.0 h per session.

Body composition
The body height (cm) was measured by digital Stadiometer Seca 242 (Vogel & Halke, Hamburg, Germany) to the nearest 0.1 cm. The body weight was measured on a digital Scale to the nearest 0.1 kg. The body mass index (BMI, in kg m −2 ) was calculated. Body composition was measured by a multifrequency bioimpedance method Tanita MC-980 (Tanita Europe BV), which operates on frequencies (1, 5, 50, 250, 500, 1000 kHz). BIA analysing time was about 40 s. The monitored parameters were the following: fat mass (FM), fat free mass (FFM), muscle mass (MM), bone mass (BM), total body water (TBW), intracellular water (ICW), extracellular water (ECW) and segmental analysis of muscle distribution.

Data Analysis
Basic descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) were computed for all variables, which were subsequently tested for normality using Shapiro-Wilk tests. Differences in segmental analysis from BIA were evaluated by Student's t-test (significance was accepted at p < 0.

RESULTS
Total amount of 15 sub-elite female handball players (average age -21.5 ± 1.8 years). Values of basic somatic characteristics of probands (body weight, body height, BMI) are shown in Table 1. Values of parameters indicating body composition -BIA Tanita MC-980 are show in Table 2. All data were normally distributed. Note: Data are reported as means ± SD. SD -standard deviation; BMI -Body mass index. Note: Data are reported as means ± SD. SD -standard deviation; FM -fat mass; FFM -fat free mass; TBW -total body water; ICW -intracellular water; ECW -extracellular water; * -significant difference between left/right extremities at p < 0.05.
When comparing paired extremities of handball players we found significant differences in muscle mass proportion (difference between right arm and left arm -0.05 kg, p < 0.05, ES < 0.2; difference between right leg and left leg -0.11 kg, p < 0.05, ES < 0.2).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
In general, to succeed in a sport, it is important usually to have specific bodily attributes (Malina, Bouchard, & Bar-Or, 2004). Handball players occupying different positions differ in many morphological parameters (Šibila, & Pori 2009). Only limited information is available on anthropometric differences between handball players characterised by their playing position (e.g. Rogulj et al., 2005;Šibila, & Pori, 2009).
There is a need for detailed anthropometric and body composition studies of handball players.
The measurement of physical (anthropometry, somatotypes, body composition) and physiological characteristics gives a great insight into the current status of handball players and allows coaches to evaluate such players (selection) and implicate the right training volume and intensity to raise their capabilities (preparation cycles programming) (Malá et al., 2011). And especially, the results could be useful in profiling players and identifying talents and/or could direct coaches' attention to improve specific body composition characteristics of athletes. Although body composition analysis are useful for providing reasonable guidelines for the percentage of body fat in this sport, caution must be exercised when interpreting such data due to the methods of assessing body fat (skinfold thickness measurement vs. DXA vs. BIA etc.).