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Changes in body composition during the transition period and training period in competitive handball players

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Paper title:

Changes in body composition during the transition period and training period in competitive handball players
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4316/SAM.2025.0215
Published in: Volume XVIII issue 2/ 2025
Publishing date: 2025
Pages:
Author(s): Morari George

Pavel Răzvan Cristian

Breha Alexandru Mihai
Abstract. Body composition analysis has gained popularity in sports, and sports coaches, physi-cal trainers, and physical therapists have understood the need to monitor these pa-rameters. The purpose of this study was to monitor body composition fluctuations in a Romanian handball team during the off-season. The assessments were performed us-ing bioimpedance and included: skeletal muscle mass (SMM), fat-free mass (FFM), fat mass (FM), fat mass percentage (BF%), total mineral mass (BMC), total body water (TBW), basal metabolic rate (BMR), and body mass index (BMI). During the transition period T1-T2, the athletes recorded a decrease in SMM (-0,55 kg) and an increase in BF% (+0,79 kg) due to a lower training volume. During the preparation period T2-T3, athletes recorded increases in SMM (+0,97 kg) and decreases in BF% (-1,75 kg), as this was a period of muscle mass accumulation and getting into shape. The impact of the entire T1-T3 period analyzed was somewhat unexpected, as the athletes did not signif-icantly improve their body composition compared to T1. These results may be the con-sequence of a combination of internal and external factors that can have negative long-term and short-term effects on body composition.
Keywords: sport; skeletal muscle mass; fat mass, performance
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