The main purpose of the paper was to evaluate selected psychomotor abilities of handball players depending on the competition class (league), position on the court, training seniority and the dominant hand. The study covered a group of 40 handball players (age: 24.02 ± 3.99), while 50 non-training men (age: 22.90 ± 1.13) formed the control group. Studies were performed using Test2Drive computer tests. The following four tests were used for measuring psychomotor fitness: simple reaction time test, choice reaction time test, hand-eye coordination test and spatial anticipation test. An analysis revealed that handball players had better reaction times and movement times than the control group. The league, position on the court, training seniority and the dominant upper limb were analysed for their impact on the reaction time and movement time in handball players. An analysis of psychomotor abilities of handball players with regard to the league revealed that in the majority of tests the Superliga players had a shorter reaction time than players in lower leagues.

This study presents mathematical models for predicting VO₂max based on a 20 m shuttle run and anthropometric parameters. The research was conducted with data provided by 308 young healthy people (aged 20.6 ± 1.6). The research group includes 154 females (aged 20.3 ± 1.2) and 154 males (aged 20.8 ± 1.8). Twenty-four variables were used to build the models, including one dependent variable and 23 independent variables. The predictive methods of analysis include: the classical model of ordinary least squares (OLS) regression, regularized methods such as ridge regression and Lasso regression, artificial neural networks such as the multilayer perceptron (MLP) and radial basis function (RBF) network. All models were calculated in R software (version 3.5.0, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria). The study also involved variable selection methods (Lasso and stepwise regressions) to identify optimum predictors for the analysed study group. In order to compare and choose the best model, leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) was used. The paper presents three types of models: for females, males and the whole group. An analysis has revealed that the models for females ( ${\mathit{RMSE}}_{CV}=4.07$ mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹) are characterised by a smaller degree of error as compared to male models ( ${\mathit{RMSE}}_{CV}=5.30$ mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹). The model accounting for sex generated an error level of ${\mathit{RMSE}}_{CV}=4.78$ mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹.

Anthropometric measurements of the human body are an important problem that affects many aspects of human life. However, anthropometric measurement often requires the application of an appropriate measurement procedure and the use of specialized, sometimes expensive measurement tools. Sometimes the measurement procedure is complicated, time-consuming, and requires properly trained personnel. This study aimed to develop a system for estimating human anthropometric parameters based on a three-dimensional scan of the complete body made with an inexpensive depth camera in the form of the Kinect v2 sensor. The research included 129 men aged 18 to 28. The developed system consists of a rotating platform, a depth sensor (Kinect v2), and a PC computer that was used to record 3D data, and to estimate individual anthropometric parameters. Experimental studies have shown that the precision of the proposed system for a significant part of the parameters is satisfactory. The largest error was found in the waist circumference parameter. The results obtained confirm that this method can be used in anthropometric measurements.

Handball is a high-intensity game, during which players run, change directions with or without the ball, interact with the opponent and make different decisions in both offensive and defensive actions. Players‘ performance may depend on a number of factors, including explosive force, power, speed and agility. Players‘ results may be significantly influenced by their, psychomotor abilities. This article presents an analysis of selected psychomotor abilities of female handball players at different level of competition. Test2Drive computer tests were used. The following four tests were used to measure psychomotor abilities: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SIRT), the Choice Reaction Time Test (CHORT), the Hand-Eye Coordination Test and the Spatial Anticipation Test (SPANT). The study covered a group of 118 female handball players (average age 19.6 ± 3.16), playing in the PGNiG Polish Women’s Superliga, the Polish 1st Handball League and 2nd the Polish 2nd Handball League, in the playing positions: goalkeepers, centre players, pivot players and wing players. The study also included analyses of the players‘ body composition and aerobic capacity through the use of the multistage 20-m shuttle run test. In addition, the players‘ psychomotor abilities were analysed depending on the level of competition and playing position. The analysis of the reaction time and movement time showed statistically significant differences between the results obtained by the female handball players on different levels of competition. Moreover the female players from the Polish Women’s Superliga exhibited the fastest reaction times according to the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT. Additionally, on the basis of the linear Pearson correlation coefficient, a statistically significant relationship was determined between the players‘ psychomotor abilities (movement time in the SIRT, the CHORT and the SPANT) and elements of their body composition or aerobic capacity. The analysis showed that the higher the level of competition (leagues), the shorter the female handball players‘ reaction times. The study also revealed that the players‘ body mass index and percentage of fat content reassociated with movement times, while their aerobic capacity (measured in the multistage 20-m shuttle run test) had a significant influence on their reaction times. This study shows that reaction time it’s one of ability which should be consider to develop in training of female handball players.

(1) Study aim: This is a comparative study for judo and jujutsu practitioners. It has an intrinsic value. The aim of this study was to showcase a comparison of practitioners of judo and a similar martial art jujutsu with regard to manual abilities. The study applied the measurement of simple reaction time in response to a visual stimulus and handgrip measurement. (2) Materials and Methods: The group comprising N = 69 black belts from Poland and Germany (including 30 from judo and 39 from jujutsu) applied two trials: “grasping of Ditrich rod” and dynamometric handgrip measurement. The analysis of the results involved the calculations of arithmetic means, standard deviations, and Pearson correlations. Analysis of the differences (Mann–Whitney U test) and Student’s t-test were also applied to establish statistical differences. (3) Results: In the test involving handgrip measurement, the subjects from Poland (both those practicing judo and jujutsu) gained better results compared to their German counterparts. In the test involving grasping of Ditrich rod, a positive correlation was demonstrated in the group of German judokas between the age and reaction time of the subjects (r_xy = 0.66, p < 0.05), as well as in the group of jujutsu subjects between body weight and the reaction time (r_xy = 0.49, p < 0.05). A significant and strong correlation between handgrip and weight was also established for the group of German judokas (r_xy = 0.75, p < 0.05). In Polish competitors, the correlations were only established between the age and handgrip measurements (r_xy = 0.49, p < 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Simple reaction times in response to visual stimulation were shorter in the subjects practicing the martial art jujutsu. However, the statement regarding the advantage of the judokas in terms of handgrip force was not confirmed by the results.

Background: One of the most popular varieties of rugby is Rugby Union, in which a team consists of 15 players. Rugby Union is a full-contact sport, and players must demonstrate strength, endurance, speed and agility. During the match, players participate in multiple physical collisions and tackles, short-duration and high-intensity sprinting efforts. In addition, one of the elements affecting the effectiveness of the player’s game can be the reaction time of the rugby player to the visual stimulus and the ability to read the game and react to the situations on the pitch. The level of psychomotor abilities of a person or a player practising sports can be influenced by various factors, including age, body height, body weight, type of sport practised or level of training. The study aimed to analyse the psychomotor abilities of professional rugby union players, investigate the relationship between the selected anthropometric characteristics and psychomotor abilities, and compare obtained results with the control group. Methods: The study covered 22 players of the Polish National Team (age: 29.3 ± 5.4) and 27 students in the control group (age: 24.3 ± 3.9). The tests were carried out using the Test2Drive computer system of tests. For psychomotor abilities analysis, four tests were used: Simple Reaction Test, Choice Reaction Time Test, Hand-Eye Coordination Test and Spatial Orientation Test. The statistical analysis compares groups using basic statistical measures, and statistically significant differences between groups were checked. In addition, multiple linear regression was used. Results: The analysis showed statistically significant differences between the groups in the simple reaction time test and the movement time for the test assessing reaction time with choice and eye-hand coordination. Multiple regression analysis conducted for both groups showed a statistically significant influence of some anthropometric parameters on the examined psychomotor abilities. The calculated multiple regression models had a high fit. Conclusions: The analysis showed that professional Rugby Union players have shorter movement time than the control group. For reaction time, statistically significant differences were observed only for simple reaction time. Moreover, linear regression analysis showed that body height and weight affect the selected psychomotor abilities.