A study conducted among Hungarian handball referees has drawn attention to the importance of cardiac screening in elite handball referees.

The findings in the report - which was undertaken with a cooperation with the Heart and Vascular Center at Semmelweis University - highlight the important steps of lowering the risk of cardiovascular disease, also called coronary artery disease (CAD), is the managing of health behaviours and risk factors, such as diet quality, physical activity, smoking, body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, total cholesterol or blood glucose.

The report, conducted by the Hungarian Handball Federation, reveals that during a handball game, the cardiovascular system is heavily taxed, and underlines the fact that referees must be alert to their level of fitness so that fatigue does not impair their decision-making.

“Referees bear a lot of responsibility, their task is not just to lead the game rule-consistently, they take an active part in shaping the game. To that extent, a good body condition can be decisive for a game,” the report goes on to say.

Click here to read all of the research findings in its entirety.