The relationship between body mass index and physical fitness in adolescent and adult male team handball players.

The main objective of this study is to examine the relationship between elevated Body Mass Index (BMI) and selected physical fitness variables in male handball players. In addition, we investigated whether this relationship is age-dependent, i.e., whether a higher BMI has the same implications for physical fitness in adolescents as in adult players. Therefore, adolescent (n = 57, aged 14.9 +/- 1.4 yr) and adult (n = 39, 26.6 +/- 5.7 yr) participants performed a series of anthropometric and physical fitness measures. In adolescent players, BMI was inversely related with countermovement jump (r = -0.26, P < 0.05), mean power during a 30-s Bosco test (r = -0.30, P < 0.001) and handgrip muscle strength (r = -0.52, P < 0.001). Further, BMI was in direct relationship with fatigue index of the Wingate anaerobic test (r = 0.29, P < 0.05). Correspondingly lower and non-significant correlations were found in adult players. Also, in the latter players, there was an inverse association between BMI and maximal anaerobic power during the force-velocity test (r = -0.34, P < 0.05). The present findings indicate that elevated BMI is more strongly inversely related to physical fitness in adolescent compared to adult team handball players.