Cardiorespiratory responses during running and sport-specific exercises in handball players

To determine whether a 4-a-side handball (HB) game is an appropriate aerobic stimulus to reach and potentially enhance maximal oxygen uptake ((V) over dotO(2)max), and whether heart rate (HR) is a valid index of uptake ((V) over dotO(2) during it handball during it handball game. Nine skilled players (21.0 +/- 2.9 yr) underwent a graded maximal aerobic test (GT) where (V) over dotO(2)max and HR - (V) over dotO(2) relationship were determined. (V) over dotO(2), HR and blood lactate ([La](b)) were recorded during a 2 x 225 s (interspersed with 30 s rest) 4-a-side handball game and were compared to those measured during an 480-s running intermittent exercise (IE). Mean (V) over dotO(2) tended to be higher in handball compared to IE (93.9 +/- 8.5 vs. 87.6 +/- 7.4% O(2)max, p = 0.06), whereas HR was similar (92.3 +/- 4.9 vs. 93.9 +/- 3.9% of the peak of HR, p = 0.10). [La](b) was lower for handball than for IE (8.9 +/- 3.5 vs. 11.6 +/- 2.1 mmol l(-1), p = 0.04). Time spent over 90% of (V) over dotO(2)max was higher for handball than for IE (336.1 +/- 139.6 s vs. 216.1 +/- 124.7 s; p = 0.03). The HR - (V) over dotO(2) relationship during GT was high (r(2) = 0.96, p<0.00 1) but estimated (V) over dotO(2) from HR was lower to that measured (p = 0.03) in handball, whereas there was no difference in IE. 4-a-side handball game can be used as a specific alternative to IE for enhancing aerobic fitness in handball players. Nevertheless, the accuracy of HR measures for estimating (V) over dotO(2) during handball is poor. (c) 2008 Sports Medicine Australia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.