What is the aim of their work and of "Total Movement"? “One of the most important goals is injury risk reduction through specialised training and facilitating recovery between sessions and matches. We also recognise the critical role that nutrition plays in recovery. That is why we educate our athletes on how to recover effectively and efficiently after demanding training sessions or intense matches. Our aim is to enhance recovery, optimize their energy levels, and contribute to their overall athletic success”, adds Ivanović.
“While focusing specifically on handball, it's essential to acknowledge the uniqueness of each athlete. Varying coaching methods and performance expectations exist across different European countries. The challenges of playing a season in one country may differ significantly from those in another. Ultimately, our objective is to piece together the puzzle, optimising various skills and integrating effective athletic training with specific handball requirements,” concludes Ivanović.
While looking upon the upcoming EHF EURO, both experts divide the players by the clubs and the leagues they come from, “If they have tough competitions and they play some of the EHF club competitions, the players are, most probably, exhausted right now. Others might be in a different position, as their domestic leagues don’t have such a dense schedule. During the last preparation for the EHF EURO, it is most important to make sure that the players enter the tournament healthy and fit,” says Šarenac. In her opinion, extra volume training sessions or a huge number of test matches are not the most optimal way, “The players know the systems and the tactics, and what you have not learnt until the last days before an EHF EURO, you will not learn now. Training for a major tournament is a long-term process. Give the players time to recover and recharge, to build-up physical and mental readiness”.
During the tournament, having important matches almost every second day means, players and coaching staff must take extreme care of maintaining players’ readiness level. “There are two crucial aspects of successful recovery: optimal sleep and well-balanced nutrition. All the additional recovery and regeneration means are just that; additional. Players have a hard time calming down after the matches, eating, and sleeping timely and optimally. The additional routines, such as cold, hot or contrast water immersion, compression garments, active recovery methods, various manual treatments, cryo chambers, vibration, electro-stimulation, etc., should be applied to help the players improve the two major factors of recovery, especially sleep”, says Ivanović.
“Each player should know in advance what additional recovery and regeneration routine works best for him. A major tournament is not the place to experiment with new routines. Science is inconclusive about the exact effectiveness of various means, beside sleep and optimal nutrition, hydration and supplementation. So, each player needs his own, self-confirmed protocol. At the point of the major tournament, everything that works and feels good should be done, however “non-scientific” that might sound”, adds Šarenac.
Of course, teams need their training between the matches. “Beside easy tactical sessions that the complete squad must perform, the players that did not have enough playing time shall train additionally in handball specific mechanical and metabolic zones. Those who did have enough playing time can and should continue with short, more general training means to maintain high neuromuscular performance, tissue tolerance and aerobic fitness”, says Šarenac
Finally, it is not only about the body, but also the mind. Any win makes the rest of the tournament easier. The players can perform better when they have positive social input from the outside world and inside their teams. “If you have a tough match, even the body feels much better when you win. So, players and staff also need skills to regain confidence and positive attitude after defeats, to be able to keep top performance”, concludes Ivanović.
