Measurement of physical fitness is a common and appropriate practice in sports competition. The information obtained from testing will allow adjustments of the training program to meet an individual's specific fitness needs. The purpose of this study was to analyze the changes in metabolic and motor performance variables in handball players during a training program following a model proposed by Verkhoshanski(7) and adapted by Oliveira(8). Eleven handball players, from 20 to 32 years old, body weight 89.5 ± 10.4 kg (70.2 and 105.1 kg), height of 184.4 ± 6.7 cm (171.8 and 198 cm) participated in this study. All participants were members of "UniFil/Londrina" Handball Team of Londrina, Paraná. The subjects were tested and retested after developing a 16-week training program, prior to the start of the National League Championship. Data were analyzed using t-test for repeated measures (p < 0.05). The results showed very important adaptations with an increase in velocity strength (7.8%, p < 0.05), explosive strength (8.1%, p < 0.05) and agility (6.4%, p < 0.05). Moreover, the training program allowed for some metabolic adaptations, such as anaerobic power (30.5 and 37.5%, p < 0.05), and the total time the players could stand at the Yo-yo test, respectively. Aerobic power, measured by VO2max, also increased (8.1%, p < 0.05). The results suggest that the program proposed was able to create positive motor capacities responses that were observed in the lasting training posterior effect.
Physical performance; Training program; Sport
