Not all players warm up the same: position-specific external load during standardized pre-match protocol in women's handball.

INTRODUCTION: Although monitoring external load during training and match play is essential to understand game demands, optimize performance, and reduce injury risk, the external load accumulated during the pre-match warm-up has received little attention in women's handball. Therefore, the aims of the present study were: (i) to analyze and compare positional differences in the external load registered during a standardized pre-match warm-up protocol in official matches in women's handball; and (ii) to examine the external load accumulated during the warm-up relative to match demands according to playing position. METHODS: Twenty-two female players from the Spanish 2nd Division were monitored across 13 official home matches and their respective pre-match warm-ups. Total distance covered (TDC), high-speed running (HSR), metabolic power (MP), high metabolic load distance (HMLD), high-intensity accelerations (HIA), high-intensity decelerations (HID), and PlayerLoad (PL) were recorded in absolute and relative values (normalized by playing time) using a WIMU PRO™ LPS integrating UWB and IMU technology. Positional differences were analyzed using one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test. The statistical significance level was set at p < 0.05. RESULTS: Significant between-position differences were found in TDC, TDC/min, HSR, HSR/min, HMLD, HMLD/min, MP/min, PL, and PL/min (p < 0.05). Overall, wings exhibited the greatest external load values during the warm-up, particularly in TDC, HSR, HMLD, and PL, whereas pivots consistently showed the lowest values. Backs also displayed higher TDC/min, HMLD/min, and MP/min than pivots. When warm-up load was contextualized relative to match demands, the warm-up accounted for a considerable proportion of match load in several variables. Pivots generally showed the greatest relative contribution of warm-up to match load, whereas wings showed the lowest values across most variables. CONCLUSIONS: External load registered during a standardized pre-match warm-up in women's handball is position-specific and should not be considered a uniform preparatory stimulus across players. Warm-up load represents a meaningful component of total match-day external load and should be structured according to the technical and physical demands of each playing position. These findings support the individualization of pre-match warm-up strategies according to playing position.