[Intraobserver reliability of the Handball-specific complex test (HBKT)].
BACKGROUND
There are clearly no complex and sports-specific tests in handball. So far, no specific complex test has been developed and verified for its intraobserver reliability (IR).


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to determine the IR of the Handball-specific complex test (HBKT).


METHODS
The HBKT was applied twice at an interval of two days to two teams of the German Third League (n = 30; age 25.7 ± 3.9 years, range: 19 - 33 years). Within the HBKT, the stress parameters lactate and heart rate as well as the loading parameters time, throwing velocity and number of errors were collected.


RESULTS
Overall, 23 % (3/13) of the stress parameters showed a high relative [intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) > 0.75] and absolute [coefficient of variation (CV) ≤ 5 %] IR. On average, a sufficient absolute (∅CV = 11.3 %) and relative (∅ICC = 0.67) IR was observed. Without the parameters "missed throws" and "technical errors" in both rounds, the IR increased significantly (∅ICC: from 0.67 to 0.72 & ∅CV from 11.3 to 6.3 %). The heart rate was comparatively more reliable than lactate (∅ICC = 0.71 & ∅CV = 4.23 % vs. ∅ICC = 0.65 & ∅CV = 15.1 %). With respect to load parameters in round one, 50 % (5/10) showed a high IR; in round two, these values decreased to 40 % (4/10). The mean IR of the parameters in round one was higher than in round two (∅ICC = 0.71 & ∅CV = 12.2 % vs. ∅ICC = 0.60 & ∅CV = 14.3 %). Overall, there was an improvement of the athletes in most stress and load parameters from session one to session two.


CONCLUSIONS
The HBKT can be attested with a sufficient intraobserver reliability. When the parameters "missed throws" and "technical errors" were excluded, the IR further increased significantly. Therefore, these parameters should be recorded in order to standardized the HBKT, but not be included in the statistical analysis. There are discrete adaptation and learning effects. For this reason, it is essential to familiarise trainers and players with the HBKT test procedure before the first measurement. Otherwise training effects can be easily overrated. Moreover, the test concept of HBKT can be used as a blueprint for the development of sport-specific tests in other team sports (e. g., soccer, basketball). For example, we generated a complex soccer-specific field test 1 based on the HBKT.
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department für Orthopädie, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Halle (Saale).
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Schwesig
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department Sportwissenschaft, Halle (Saale).
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A
Koke
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department für Orthopädie, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Halle (Saale).
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Jungermann
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department Sportwissenschaft, Halle (Saale).
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D
Fischer
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Universitätsklinik und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin I, Schwerpunkt Pneumologie, Halle (Saale).
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F
Noack
Direktor Institute for Musculoskeletal Analysis, Research and Therapy, Leiter Wirbelsäulenforschung Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Experimentelle und klinische Traumatologie Austrian Cluster for Tissue Regeneration, Wien, Österreich.
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Becker
Zentrum Orthopädische Chirurgie (ZOC), Hannoversch Münden.
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Fieseler
Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Department für Orthopädie, Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Halle (Saale).
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Delank
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult