The lower limbs are critical to athletic performance in handball, with strength and power being key variables. Previous studies have shown the importance of studying the rate of force development and the reactive strength index to enhance sports performance and prevent sports injuries. Given the limited research on this subject, the objective of this study was to analyze the effects of plyometric, neuromuscular, and strength training on performance and injury‐related kinetic and biomechanical factors in female handball players and to identify commonly used functional and biomechanical tests for injury risk and performance assessment. This systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines and included eight clinical trials. These studies compared various training programs between the control and experimental groups, focusing on biomechanical analysis, strength training, plyometrics, neuromuscular, and standard training. The findings of this systematic review demonstrate the benefits of incorporating supplementary training into traditional handball training, specifically focusing on strength parameters and plyometric and proprioceptive exercises. Furthermore, controlling eccentric actions and addressing body asymmetries between the dominant and nondominant lower limbs reduces the risk of injuries and accelerates the rehabilitation process for injured handball players.

The regular practice of physical activity is considered a health promoter and appears to be one of the main contributors to the prevention of chronic diseases. However, the potential effects of exercise on health depending on the time of day at which it is performed have not yet been fully elucidated. To evaluate the effect of physical exercise (aerobic or anaerobic) and chronobiology (morning or afternoon) on the glycemic metabolism of healthy subjects. Healthy subjects participated in aerobic or anaerobic physical exercise sessions, either in the morning or in the afternoon. Blood was drawn from the subjects before, at the end of the exercise and 2 hours after the end of the exercise. Glycemic parameters were analyzed at these time points. A general linear model test was performed after verifying the normal distribution of the raw data (as assessed by the Shapiro-Wilk test) or after a logarithmic/square root transformation, considering aerobic or anaerobic exercise and morning or afternoon exercise as independent variables. Twenty-three subjects (14 women and 9 men) were included in the study. The rate of change in glucose levels was significantly higher at the end of anaerobic exercise compared to aerobic exercise (1.19 ± 0.04 vs. 0.98 ± 0.02, respectively), with a more pronounced decrease in insulin and C-peptide levels following aerobic exercise. In addition, the increase of glucose was higher after the exercise in the morning compared with the afternoon (1.14 ± 0.03 vs. 1.03 ± 0.03, respectively). The type of exercise and chronobiology influence short-term glucose metabolism.

Background: Handball involves unilateral, high-demand actions that increase injury risk. The Windlass mechanism (WM) is a position-dependent plantar fascia tensioning system, activated by dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, which increases medial longitudinal arch stiffness and contributes to foot stability. WM activation can be mechanically simulated using hallux wedges to induce controlled dorsiflexion, allowing graded engagement of the mechanism under standardized conditions. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how different wedge inclinations, with and without visual biofeedback, affect foot muscle activity during squats in elite female handball players. Methods: Seventeen elite female handball players performed squats at 65% of one-repetition maximum under six conditions combining three wedge inclinations (0°, 10°, 30°) with the presence or absence of visual biofeedback. Electromyographic activity (RMS and %MVC) of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles was recorded. Results: A significant increase in left abductor hallucis activation with the 10° wedge without biofeedback. Visual biofeedback significantly increased RMS and %MVC in intrinsic foot muscles and increased RMS in the left gastrocnemius (p < 0.05). No significant interaction was observed between wedge inclination and biofeedback. Conclusions: Controlled activation of the WM via hallux wedges and the use of visual biofeedback modulate foot muscle activity during squats. These strategies may be considered in training programs aimed at improving foot stability and reducing injury risk in elite female handball players.

The foot’s windlass mechanism (WM), engaged by hallux dorsiflexion, is a key determinant of lower-limb propulsive efficiency in explosive sports. This randomized within-subjects crossover study examined whether forefoot wedges of varying angulation, intended to facilitate the windlass mechanism, with or without real-time visual biofeedback, modify concentric power output during loaded back squats in elite female handball players. Seventeen professional athletes performed 3 × 3 back squats at 65% one-repetition maximum under six randomized conditions: three wedge angles (0°, 10°, and 30°) × biofeedback (present or absent). Peak concentric power (W) was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes included relative peak power (W·kg⁻¹), concentric force (N), and concentric velocity (m·s⁻¹), all recorded using dual force plates. The pre-specified two-way (3 × 2) repeated-measures ANOVA showed no significant main effects of wedge angle or biofeedback and no significant interaction for peak concentric power (all p > 0.05). A complementary exploratory Friedman analysis indicated an overall condition effect (χ² = 14.01, p = 0.016; Kendall’s W = 0.165), with the highest descriptive values observed for the 30° wedge without biofeedback. However, pairwise comparisons did not remain significant after correction and did not isolate an independent wedge effect. Taken together, these findings are exploratory and hypothesis-generating and do not confirm that forefoot wedging acutely enhances power output in this population. Larger, pre-registered trials with direct biomechanical verification of windlass activation and longer-term performance outcomes are needed before specific wedge-based applications can be recommended in elite handball practice.