[Conference/Seminar Report] Survey of the Japanese National Handball Team - Is there a relationship between pain during training camp and athletic performance? - Report at the Japanese Society of Clinical Sports Medicine

Handball is said to be prone to joint and tendon disorders due to the sport's characteristics of requiring acceleration, deceleration, jumping and throwing. However, there have been no studies on the percentage of top-level Japanese handball players who experience pain in the joints or tendons, or the relationship between pain and athletic performance. For this reason, we conducted a study on players participating in a training camp for the Japanese men's handball national team.

In this study, more than half of the athletes complained of pain in their joints and tendons due to the high intensity of exercise during the training camp, and furthermore, athletes with pain in the upper limbs (shoulders and elbows) had lower athletic performance than athletes without pain. These results suggest that it is more important than ever to take care of joints and tendons in order to prevent injuries and performance decline. Ajinomoto Co. will continue to promote cutting-edge research to support the better competitive lives of athletes, including top athletes at the Japan national team. Through such research, we will provide information that will help top athletes and exercise enthusiasts have a comfortable competitive life, and contribute to the development of sports science.