10-week Complex Training for Chinese National Korfball Players

Summary

Korfball is a mixed-gender team sport that requires high levels of coordination, balance, and physical fitness. Unlike basketball or netball, players cannot dribble or run with the ball, and shots must often be taken in a single-leg, step-back position. These unique demands create challenges for athletes' strength, balance, and injury prevention. Despite korfball's growing popularity, scientific research on the sport's physical, biomechanical, and training characteristics remains limited.

Complex training (CT) is a training method that alternates heavy resistance exercises with plyometric movements. This approach is known to improve strength, power, sprinting, and jumping ability in other team sports. It is especially relevant for unilateral sports movements, which are common in korfball shooting and defensive actions. However, no studies to date have applied CT to korfball athletes, and the effects of such training on their performance, biomechanics, and interlimb asymmetries are unclear.

This study is designed to address three research areas:

To describe the internal and external load characteristics of korfball matches using heart rate monitoring and video-based analysis.

To investigate limb asymmetry in korfball players through assessments of biomechanics, anthropometry, physical fitness, and shooting technique.

To evaluate whether a 10-week unilateral complex training program can reduce limb asymmetry and improve physical fitness and shooting performance in elite players.

The study includes both cross-sectional and interventional components. First, competition loads will be monitored to understand game-specific demands. Second, assessments will compare dominant and non-dominant limbs in terms of strength, biomechanics, and technical performance. Finally, athletes will undergo a 10-week unilateral complex training program, after which the same measures will be repeated to test for improvements.

The expected outcomes are a clearer understanding of the physiological and biomechanical characteristics of korfball players, as well as evidence on the effectiveness of unilateral complex training. This knowledge may guide coaches and practitioners in designing targeted training strategies to enhance performance, reduce injury risk, and optimize athlete development in korfball.

Conditions

• Plyometric Exercises
• Fitness Training
• Athlete
• Physical Fitness
• Biomechanical Data
• Athletic Performance

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

10-week Unilateral Complex Training Program

Participants will undergo a 10-week unilateral complex training program. Each training session combines resistance exercises (e.g., squats, lunges, or weighted lower-limb movements) with plyometric exercises (e.g., jumps, bounding, or explosive step-back movements) performed in alternating sequence. Training is delivered three times per week under supervision. All participants, divided equally by sex, follow the same program. The intervention is designed to improve strength, power, balance, and shooting performance while reducing interlimb asymmetry. No between-group comparisons are planned; outcomes are assessed pre- and post-intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Universiti Sains Malaysia

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

BASIC_SCIENCE

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

35 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2024-07-25

Primary Completion

2024-10-07

Completion

2024-10-14

Countries

• China