Effects of the Surface Type on the Sprint Force–Velocity–Power Profile of Female Beach Handball Top-Level Players

Abstract

Beach handball (BH) is characterized by high-intensity actions, such as accelerations and short rest times, in combination with long periods of low-intensity activity during a match. The purpose of this study was to establish a comparative analysis between the effect of a hard surface vs. sandy surface on the properties of the sprint Force–Velocity–Power Profile (FVP) of female beach handball top-level players. Fourteen female BH players participated in this research. A cross-sectional investigation was performed in order to evaluate the determining variables of the FVP profile for different surfaces. After a specific warm-up, two maximal 20–30 m sprints (4 min resting between trials) were performed in two conditions (hard surface and sand) within 10 min. The female BH players showed higher mean values for all the FVP profile variables (p < 0.001) on the hard surface compared to sand, in addition to lower values for the 5 m (ES = 2.29 to 3.89) and 20 m sprinting times (ES = 2.39 to 3.99) (p < 0.001). However, the decrease in the ratio of force over acceleration was not discriminant between the surfaces. Positive correlations were found for the speed variables (0.691–0.807, p < 0.01), as well as the Pmax (0.520, p = 0.035), between the surfaces. A prior knowledge of the FVP profile for hard–sandy surfaces could offer an important reference value about the sprint properties of this population, and be useful for evaluating the efficiency, as well as the effect on the sprint and gaming performance, of specifically oriented training programs based on those reference values.