Testing the relationship between competition performance with pre-post competition reaction times in elite handball players

Reaction velocity, as a basic motor attribute, is essential in playing handball fast and in competition performance. This study aimed at determining the differences between the pre-competition and post-competition reaction times during the five-day handball competitions and examining the correlation between the reaction time and competition performance.48 male collage handball players who have been exercising at least for five years participated in the study voluntarily. Reaction times of the handball players were measured with a Nelson Reaction Scale before and after the competitions. Competitions were camera-recorded and performance analysis was made. The analysis of players and team performance was made by the game-value scale of Ulrich. The SPSS package software was used in data-analysis. Students? t-Test was used to define the difference between dependant and independent groups. The direction and strength of the correlation between reaction time and competition performance were defined with Pearson Correlation Analysis. P<0,05 was considered to be the level of significance.In the study, a comparison between pre- and post competition reaction times has revealed that there was a significant difference in favor of the winning teams between the winning teams (hand, PRE; 0.235 - POST; 0.214, Double Hands, PRE; 0.253 - POST; 0.226), losing teams; (hand, PRE; 0.245 - POST; 0.263, Double Hands, PRE; 0.259 - POST; 0.274, foot, PRE; 0.245 - POST; 0.261) (p<0.05). Significant correlations were found between reaction times and competition performance plus values (CP+) and double hand reaction times (DHRT) of handball players (r= 708, p=033), between CP+ and hand reaction times (HRT) (r= -790, p=011), between competition performance minus values (CP-) and HRT (r=975, p=025), between total competition performance plus values (TCP+) and foot reaction times (FRT) (r= 580, p= 038) (p<0.05).As a conclusion, we can suggest that the shortest individual reaction times do not have any impact on game performance (Vt=Vi) whereas the shortest team reaction times are also accompanied by higher Vt=Vi scores; and in the impact of the post-competition fatigue on the reaction times, the post-competition measurements of the winning team was shorter than the measurements of the post-competition measurements of the losing team and pre-competition measurements, and the winning and losing.Key word: Handball, Reaction Time, Competition performence, Competition Analysis.