RT Journal Article
T1 Mediation Effect of Age Category on the Relationship between Body Composition and the Physical Fitness Profile in Youth Handball Players
A1 Molina López, Jorge
A1 Barea Zarzuela, Iván
A1 Sáez Padilla, Jesús
A1 Tornero Quiñones, Inmaculada
A1 Planells, Elena
AB The aims of the present study were (1) to determine the di erences in body composition andthe physical and physiological profile of handball youths across age categories, and (2) to analyze themediation e ect of di erent categories on the relationship between lean mass or fat mass and specificphysical handball capacities. Fifty-four young handball players aged 13 to 18 were assigned to U14(13- and 14-year-olds), U16 (15- and 16-year-olds), and U18 (17- and 18-year-olds). Body compositionwas measured using multi-frequency bioelectrical impedance (Inbody®, 230). Handball physicalfitness was assessed using handgrip force, jumping tests (squat jump, countermovement jump,countermovement jump with aimed arms), a 30-m sprint, a change-of-direction test (T-half agilitytest and modified Illinois test), and a Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1. Simple mediationanalysis was performed to analyze whether the category mediated the relationship between leanmass or fat mass and physical capacities. No significant di erences were observed according tocategory for the majority of the measured parameters, except for height, lean body mass, and armspan. Lean body mass increased significantly as player category increased (p < 0.05; D = 4.66–9.38;e ect size (ES) = 0.96–1.92). The increase in handball category enhanced the majority of the physicalcapacities evaluated; however, these di erences were reduced between the U16 vs. U18 categories.The indirect mediation e ect suggests that handball category mediated the relationship betweenlean mass and upper and lower strength, velocity, agility, and cardiorespiratory fitness. In contrast,an indirect e ect suggests that category mediated the relationship between fat mass only in agilityand cardiorespiratory fitness. We conclude that U18s showed better body composition parameters,as well as better physical performance scores. Handball category clearly mediated the relationshipbetween body composition through lean mass and fat mass and the physiological profile in handballyouth, but lean mass proved to be more relevant when mediating physical performance.
PB MDPI
SN 1661-7827
YR 2020
FD 2020-03
LK http://hdl.handle.net/10272/17830
UL http://hdl.handle.net/10272/17830
LA eng
NO Molina López, J., Barea Zarzuela, I., Sáez Padilla, J., Tornero Quiñones, I.,  Planells, E. (2020). Mediation Effect of Age Category on the Relationship between Body Composition and the Physical Fitness Profile in Youth Handball Players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(7), 2350. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17072350
DS Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Huelva
RD 30 may 2026