Physiological Demands of Team-Handball Referees During Games

• Published in: Journal of strength and conditioning research Vol. 24; no. 7; pp. 1960 - 1962
• Main Authors: Fernandes da Silva, Juliano, Castagna, Carlo, Carminatti, Lorival J, Foza, Valdeci, Guglielmo, Luiz G Antonacci, de Oliveira, Fernando Roberto
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Strength and Conditioning Association 01.07.2010; Lippincott Williams & Wilkins Ovid Technologies
• Subjects: Adult; Decision making; Exercise Test; Female; Field study; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Lactic Acid - blood; Male; Oxygen Consumption - physiology; Physical fitness; Physical Fitness - physiology; Running - physiology; Soccer; Sports - physiology; Sports officiating; Sports training; Team handball
• ISSN: 1064-8011; 1533-4287
• DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181ddb019

Fernandes Da Silva, J, Castagna, C, Carminatti, LJ, Foza, V, Guglielmo, LGA, and De Oliveira, FR. Physiological demands of team-handball referees during games. J Strength Cond Res 24(7)1960-1962, 2010-The objective of the present study was to examine the aerobic fitness and the physiological demands during competitive games in elite handball referees. Sixteen referees (age34.9 ± 3.4 years, body mass77.4 ± 10.6 kg, height173.5 ± 7.5 cm, percent fat22.3 ± 6.6%) of national and international levels (14 men and 2 women) were submitted to a multistage fitness test, to determine peak velocity (PV) and maximal heart rate (HR). After 48 hours, referees performed a submaximal intermittent shuttle-running test (3 minutes at 75 and 90% PV with 1-minute recovery), to determine speeds and HR at selected blood-lactate concentrations (2.0 and 4.0 mmol·L). Game intensities were arbitrarily established as follows<HR2mmol (moderate), between HR2mmol and HR4mmol (heavy) and >HR4mmol (severe). Eight referees (2 per game) were monitored in 4 national level games. The mean O2max of the referees was 48.5 ± 6.1 ml·kg·min. Maximal HR, HR2mmol, and HR4mmol were 193 ± 10, 154 ± 13, and 167 ± 10 b·min, respectively. The percent time spent in the moderate intensity domain was predominant (moderate 96.4%, heavy 2.3%, and severe 1.3% of total time, p < 0.05). These findings indicate that handball refereeing is of moderate intensity. In light of this study, results aerobic fitness does not seem to be a limiting factor in handball refereeing.