<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<italic><bold>Introduction.</bold></italic> The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on maintaining balance in highly skilled handball players during the performance of the modified Romberg test.
<italic><bold>Material and Methods.</bold></italic> As part of a larger investigation that was initiated in 2019, twelve professional handball players were recruited to participate in a study that was designed to measure static balance performance. Following the initial pre-test, six participants (body height 184.8 ± 4.7 cm; body weight 85.5 ± 3.3 kg; age 21.3 ± 1.2 years) contracted COVID-19. The remaining six participants (body height 188.7 ± 2.6 cm; body weight 92.3 ± 3.7 kg; age 26.3 ± 3.3 years) never tested positive for COVID-19 and pre-sumably were not infected with the virus. The experimental design required all participants to complete an initial balance assessment (pre-test) and a later balance assessment (post-test). To fully analyze our data, we conducted a 2 (condition: COVID, no-COVID) X 2 (test: pre-test, post-test) ANOVA with repeated measures on the second factor.
<italic><bold>Results.</bold></italic> Our research results showed that the skilled handball players who contracted COVID-19 mani-fested a significant decrease in balance performance from the pre-test which occurred prior to being infected with COVID-19 relative to the post-test which occurred following the COVID-19 infection.
<italic><bold>Conclusions.</bold></italic> In conclusion, the results we have reported here are the first to show an objectively measured association between COVID-19 and the ability to maintain balance. Further intensive multifaceted research on this issue is needed.
</abstract>

Introduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on maintaining balance in highly skilled handball players during the performance of the modified Romberg test.
Material and Methods. As part of a larger investigation that was initiated in 2019, twelve professional handball players were recruited to participate in a study that was designed to measure static balance performance. Following the initial pre-test, six participants (body height 184.8 ± 4.7 cm; body weight 85.5 ± 3.3 kg; age 21.3 ± 1.2 years) contracted COVID-19. The remaining six participants (body height 188.7 ± 2.6 cm; body weight 92.3 ± 3.7 kg; age 26.3 ± 3.3 years) never tested positive for COVID-19 and pre-sumably were not infected with the virus. The experimental design required all participants to complete an initial balance assessment (pre-test) and a later balance assessment (post-test). To fully analyze our data, we conducted a 2 (condition: COVID, no-COVID) X 2 (test: pre-test, post-test) ANOVA with repeated measures on the second factor.
Results. Our research results showed that the skilled handball players who contracted COVID-19 mani-fested a significant decrease in balance performance from the pre-test which occurred prior to being infected with COVID-19 relative to the post-test which occurred following the COVID-19 infection.
Conclusions. In conclusion, the results we have reported here are the first to show an objectively measured association between COVID-19 and the ability to maintain balance. Further intensive multifaceted research on this issue is needed.

Effect of COVID-19 on Maintaining Balance in Highly Skilled Handball Players

Faculty of Education Sciences, Sport Department

Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw

Polish Journal of Sport and Tourism

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":"Effect of COVID-19 on Maintaining Balance in Highly Skilled Handball Players"}

Introduction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of COVID-19 on maintaining balance in highly skilled handball players during the performance of...

Effect of COVID-19 on Maintaining Balance in Highly Skilled Handball Players

Published Online: Oct 03, 2023

Page range: 18 - 22

Received: Sep 01, 2023

Accepted: Sep 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pjst-2023-0015

Keywords
sports, COVID-19, pandemic, athlete, handball players

© 2023 Emilio Fernández-Rodríguez et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Effect of COVID-19 on Maintaining Balance in Highly Skilled Handball Players

Published Online: Oct 03, 2023

Page range: 18 - 22

Received: Sep 01, 2023

Accepted: Sep 26, 2023

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/pjst-2023-0015

Keywordssports, COVID-19, pandemic, athlete, handball players

© 2023 Emilio Fernández-Rodríguez et al., published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
sports, COVID-19, pandemic, athlete, handball players