Neuromuscular Determinants of Reactive Agility in Elite Female Handball Players: The Role of Explosive Strength, Sprint Speed, and Change of Direction Ability
Neuromuscular Determinants of Reactive Agility in Elite Female Handball Players: The Role of Explosive Strength, Sprint Speed, and Change of Direction Ability

Summary/Abstract: This study aimed to investigate the physical determinants of reactive agility in professional female handball players, a population largely underrepresented in agility research. Specifically, we examined how explosive strength, sprint speed, and change of direction ability contribute to reactive agility performance. Thirteen elite athletes (24.0±6.7 years) completed a Triple Y Reactive Agility Test (3YRAT), a 5 m sprint, a countermovement jump (CMJ), and a pre-planned Y-shaped agility test. Pearson’s correlations and hierarchical multiple regression analyses were used to examine associations and unique contributions of each physical attribute to reactive agility performance. A significant negative relationship between CMJ height and 3YRAT performance was showed (r=−0.75, p<0.01), indicating that explosive lower-limb power strongly supports rapid deceleration and re-acceleration during unplanned directional changes. A moderate negative correlation (r = −0.40, p=0.22) was observed between 5 m sprint speed and reactive agility, suggesting that higher linear sprint ability may hinder performance in tasks requiring frequent braking and directional control. No significant correlation was observed between 3YRAT and pre-planned agility performance (r=0.09, p=0.81). The regression model explained 86% of the variance in reactive agility, with explosive strength contributing 30.1%, sprint speed (negative predictor) 29.0%, and change of direction ability 8.0%. These findings highlight that reactive agility in elite female handball players is predominantly influenced by explosive strength rather than pure sprint capacity and differs from neuromuscular profiles often reported in male athletes. The results emphasise the need for training approaches that develop eccentric-concentric strength and braking ability to optimise agility performance in female handball players.

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