Name: KANTHRAJ S
Country: India

Year: 2026
Volume: Volume-16, Issue-1 (Special Issue: March 2026)
Page Number: 98-102
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19181933

ABSTRACT
 Purpose: To investigate how a combined regimen of core stability training (CST) and
fartlek training impacts endurance performance in handball players, a sport demanding both anaerobic power and aerobic capacity.

 Background: Handball requires intermittent high-intensity efforts with frequent
transitions between offense and defense, relying on both aerobic endurance and anaerobic bursts. Core stability enhances proximal control for distal mobility, improving throwing velocity and movement efficiency, while fartlek training—a variable-intensity aerobic method—boosts cardiovascular endurance and recovery.

 Methods: Male adolescent handball players underwent a 6-week intervention integrating progressive core strengthening exercises (e.g., cross curls-up, side bridges, bird-dog) with fartlek running sessions, compared to regular training controls. Performance was assessed via muscular endurance tests (Bourban test), shoulder mobility/stability (Y Balance Test), and en