Physical and Physiological Demands of Recreational Team Handball for Adult Untrained Men

Lack of motivation to exercise was reported as a major cause of sedentary behavior in adulthood. This descriptive study examines the acute physical and physiological demands of recreational team handball and evaluates whether it could be suggested as an exercise mode for fitness and health enhancement in 33–55-year-old untrained men. Time-motion, heart rate (HR), and blood lactate analyses were obtained from 4 recreational matches. Mean distance covered during the 60 min matches was6012±428 m. The players changed match activity386±70times, of which high-intensity runs and unorthodox movements amounted to59±18and26±26per match, respectively. The most frequent highly demanding playing actions were jumps and throws. Match average and peak HR were82±6% and93±5% HRmax, respectively. Players exercised at intensities between 81 and 90% HRmaxfor 47% (28±14 min) and >90% HRmaxfor 24% (14±15 min) of total match time. Match average and peak blood lactate values were3.6±1.3and4.2±1.2 mM, respectively. Recreational team handball is an intermittent high-intensity exercise mode with physical and physiological demands in the range of those found to have a positive effect on aerobic, anaerobic, and musculoskeletal fitness in adult individuals. Training studies considering recreational team handball as a health enhancing intervention are warranted.