The Health Effects of Small-sided Team Handball

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Healthy
• Interventions: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Recreational handball

• Registration Number: NCT04247724
• Lead Sponsor: University of Copenhagen

Brief Summary

The purpose of the project was to examine the fitness and health effects of participation in recreational Team Handball for untrained 20-30 year old healthy men and women.

Detailed Description

Fitness and health effects of 12 weeks of recreational team handball in untrained adult men and women aged 20-30 years"

Adult men and women aged 20-30 years will be recruited to take part in a 12-week intervention with recreational team handball. Half of the participants are men (n=32), who are randomly assigned to a group playing recreational team handball (n=16) and an inactive control group (n=16). The women (n=40) are also divided and assigned to a group with regular participation in recreational team handball (n=20) and an inactive control group (n=20). The training sessions will be offered 2-3 times weekly for 70 minutes per session by a supervised trainer. The sessions involves an injury preventive warm-up and ball exercises for 15 minutes followed by recreational handball on small pitches such as 4 vs 4. A comprehensive testing protocol is conducted before and after the training period. The measurements includes body composition and bone mineralization, blood pressure, resting heart rate, fasting blood sugar, insulin, cholesterol and bone markers. In addition, a number of physical tests which involves fitness level (VO2max), intermittent work, muscle strength and balance will further be conducted. The testing takes place at the University of Copenhagen. The training sessions will also take place at the University of Copenhagen or in a handball club near the University. The study will be approved by the local ethical committee of Copenhagen.

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2015-08-01
• Primary Completion: 2016-07-01
• Study Completion: 2016-07-01
• Status Verified: 2020-01
• Study First Submitted: 2020-01-20
• Study First Submitted QC: 2020-01-27
• Last Update Submitted: 2020-01-27
• Study First Posted: 2020-01-30
• Last Update Posted: 2020-01-30

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 72

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy women and men from 20-30 years old
• If women, a regular menstrual cycle length (25 to 32 days) with or without use of contraceptives.

Exclusion Criteria

• Known familiar diseases
• If been smoking for the last two years before recruitment
• If involved in any regular physical training two years before recruitment
• Women: a peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) higher than 45 mL/min/kg
• Men: a peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) higher than 51 mL/min/kg

Study & Design

• Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Inactive group of women	Control	4 groups are randomized for 12 weeks of intervention; 2 groups are active, 2 groups are inactive: \*1 group of women continuing their normal lifestyle patterns
Active group of women	Recreational handball	4 groups are randomized for 12 weeks of intervention; 2 groups are active, 2 groups are inactive: \*1 group of women playing recreational handball
Inactive group of men	Control	4 groups are randomized for 12 weeks of intervention; 2 groups are active, 2 groups are inactive: \*1 group of men continuing their normal lifestyle patterns
Active group of men	Recreational handball	4 groups are randomized for 12 weeks of intervention; 2 groups are active, 2 groups are inactive: \*1 group of men playing recreational handball

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
VO2max - change is being assessed after 12 weeks of intervention	Measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention	VO2max (mL/kg/min) is a measure of the cardiorespiratory during a treadmill test

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Fat percentage - change is being assessed after 12 weeks of intervention	Measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention	Measure of fat percentage (%) performed by a dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA scan)
Muscle mass - change is being assessed after 12 weeks of intervention	Measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention	Measure of muscle mass (kg) performed by a DXA scan
Mineral bone density - change is being assessed after 12 weeks of intervention	Measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention	Mineral bone density (g/cm2) performed by a DXA scan
Bone mass - change is being assessed after 12 weeks of intervention	Measured before and after 12 weeks of intervention	Bone mass (kg) performed by a DXA scan