Perceived exertion and regional thermal asymmetry responses following simulated match play in female handball players
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Introduction This study examined changes in lower-extremity thermal asymmetry following simulated match-play in U17 female handball players and evaluated their relationships with global rating of perceived exertion (RPE) and self-reported hand preference. Software-defined thermal alert categories were summarized descriptively. Methods A single-group pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design was used. Thirty-five U17 female national-team handball players completed a 50-min match simulation consisting of five 10-min blocks. Bilateral thermal asymmetry in six lower-extremity regions was assessed before the simulation and after a standardized 10-min post-simulation recovery period using infrared thermography and automated region-of-interest segmentation in ai4sports. Global RPE was recorded using the Borg CR10 scale. Holm-adjusted p values were calculated within each family of multiple comparisons. Results After Holm correction, thermal asymmetry increased significantly in the rectus femoris (mean change = 0.134 °C, adjusted p < 0.001, dz = 0.75), vastus group (mean change = 0.163 °C, adjusted p = 0.027, dz = 0.49), and gastrocnemius (mean change = 0.246 °C, adjusted p = 0.018, dz = 0.53). Changes in the hamstrings, hip adductors, and tibialis anterior were not significant after adjustment. RPE increased from 2.23 ± 0.49 to 6.03 ± 1.25 ( p < 0.001, Rosenthal r = 0.88; rank-biserial r = 1.00). No statistically detectable association was observed between post-simulation RPE and thermal-asymmetry changes; confidence intervals were compatible with effects in both directions. No hand-preference comparison remained significant after Holm correction. Descriptively, 12 of 35 athletes (34.3%) showed at least one region in the software-defined Caution or Urgent category. Conclusion Global perceived exertion increased substantially, while regional thermal-asymmetry responses varied across anatomical regions. No statistically detectable association between RPE and regional thermal changes was observed in this sample, although moderate associations cannot be excluded because of limited precision. Automated thermal image analysis may standardize region-of-interest extraction, but the observed asymmetries and software-defined alert categories should not be interpreted as diagnostic or injury-prediction measures.
Source: Frontiers in Public Health
Authors: Tevfik Cem Akalın, Nebahat Eler
Institutions: Zonguldak Bülent Ecevit University, Gazi University
Language: English
Subfield: Radiology, Nuclear Medicine and Imaging
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $3,801
OpenAlex ID: W7221761925