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REVIEW article

Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Sports Coaching: Performance and Development
Volume 6 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2024.1477347

Effects of Small-Sided Game Training on Lower Limb Explosive Strength in Handball Players:

Provisionally accepted
  • 1 Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China
  • 2 Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Sports Department, Nanjing, China
  • 3 Nanjing Institute of Physical Education and Sports, Sports training academy, Nanjing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Objective: This meta-analysis systematically evaluates the influence of small-sided game (SSG) on the counter-movement jump (CMJ) height and 20-meter sprint capabilities of handball players. Methods: Systematic searches of PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure(CNKI) databases were performed up to February 2024. Results: A total of 8 studies with 184 participants were included. Meta-analysis demonstrated significant improvements in CMJ (cm) in handball players (Weighted Mean Difference (WMD)=-1.06, 95% CI[-1.99, -0.12], Z=2.22, P=0.03). For the 20m sprint capability, the results were WMD=-0.07, 95% CI[-0.14, 0.01], Z=1.82, P=0.07. Subgroup analysis by age: ≥19 years old WMD=-0.02, 95% CI[-0.08, 0.03], and <19 years old WMD=-0.10, 95% CI[-0.21, 0.00], indicating no significant impact on the 20-m (s) performance improvement. Gender subgroup analysis showed male WMD=-0.01, 95% CI[-0.08,0.07] and female WMD=-0.11, 95%CI[-0.19, -0.03; P<0.05], suggesting better improvement in females. Conclusion: The present study reveals that SSG training has varying impacts on 20m sprint performance among handball players of different ages and genders. Specifically, there is no significant improvement in the 20m sprint performance between players aged <19 and ≥19, while female players show greater improvement in the 20-m (s) compared to male players. These differences could be attributed to the physiological, psychological, and adaptive training differences between athletes of different ages and genders. Although SSG plays an essential role in training handball players, particularly in enhancing lower limb explosive strength and overall game performance, it is recommended to combine SSG with other targeted strength and explosive power training to maximize the enhancement of lower limb explosive power in handball players.Comprehensive training can effectively improve the lower limb explosive strength of athletes while also addressing the development of other key athletic qualities to achieve the best training outcomes. Therefore, coaches should fully consider the individual differences and training needs of athletes when designing training plans, and reasonably allocate the proportion and sequence of SSG with other training methods to maximize training effectiveness.

    Keywords: SSG, Handball, CMJ Height, 20-m (s), Meta-analysis

    Received: 07 Aug 2024; Accepted: 31 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Wang, Li and Xue. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ran Wang, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Nanjing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.