Association between hip and trunk muscle strength and modified single-leg horizontal jump test performance in elite team handball players

Pori, Primož (author), Šarabon, Nejc (author), Šibila, Marko (author), Spudić, Darjan (author)

Introduction: Assessing unilateral jumping performance and its determinants is important in handball, as it underpins key offensive and defensive actions. This study aimed to evaluate the intra-session reliability of a modified single-leg horizontal jump (SLHJ) test in elite players and its associations with hip and trunk strength. Methods: Eighty elite handball players performed three single-leg horizontal jumps (SLHJs) using both their preferred and non-preferred push-off legs. Jump distance, side deviation, and resultant jump angle were measured as dependent variables. Unilateral maximal and explosive isometric strength of the hip abductors, adductors, extensors, flexors, and lateral trunk muscles were assessed as independent variables. Results: SLHJ reliability was poor-to-moderate for side deviation and jump angle (ICC$_{2.k}$ = 0.33–0.70) and good-to-excellent for jump distance (ICC$_{2.k}$ = 0.87–0.93). Moderate correlations were observed between nonpreferred leg SLHJ distance and explosive hip flexion (r = 0.31), and between SLHJ side deviation and hip extension maximal strength (r = 0.31). Multiple regression analysis showed that, for the preferred leg, adduction maximal strength predicted distance (R$^2$ = 6%), and for the non-preferred leg, explosive hip flexion predicted distance (R$^2$ = 10%), extension and abduction maximal strength predicted side deviation (R$^2$ = 14.5%), and extension maximal strength predicted jump angle (R$^2$ = 8.4%). Discussion: Due to lower reliability, directional SLHJ measures should be interpreted with caution. Hip strength was partially supported as a determinant of SLHJ performance in elite handball players. The modified SLHJ better reflects performance differences related to hip strength in the non-preferred leg.

• Language: English
• Keywords: sport, handball, assessment, core, jumping performance, power, prevention, rate of force development, reliability, validity
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FŠ - Faculty of Sport
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 8, art. 1733358
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185201
• UDC: 796.322
• ISSN on article: 2624-9367
• DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2026.1733358
• COBISS.SI-ID: 267699715
• Publication date in RUL: 28.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Frontiers in sports and active living
• Shortened title: Front. sports act. living
• Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
• ISSN: 2624-9367
• COBISS.SI-ID: 5650865

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: šport, rokomet, ocena, jedro, skakalna zmogljivost, moč, preventiva, stopnja razvoja sile, zanesljivost, veljavnost

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0147
• Name: Kineziologija monostrukturnih, polistrukturnih in konvencionalnih športov

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0443
• Name: Kineziologija za učinkovitost in preventivo mišično-skeletnih poškodb v športu