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Strength Training and Performance Enhancement in Athletes, 3rd Edition
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Strength Training and Performance Enhancement in Athletes, 3rd Edition

A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Athletic Training and Human Performance".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 541

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Roland Van den Tillaar

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Sport Science and Physical Education, Nord University, 7600 Levanger, Norway
Interests: biomechanics; 3D kinematics; motor control; strength training; team handball; sprint training; EMG measurements; sports performance; core strength; whole body vibration training; warming up and performance
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Strength training is a crucial component of athletic performance and plays a critical role in improving muscle strength, power, and endurance. The third volume of this Special Issue continues to explore the latest research and advancements in the field of strength training and its impact on enhancing athletic performance; therefore, we welcome contributions on various topics related to strength training, including the following:  

  • Resistance training and its effects on muscle strength, muscle hypertrophy, power, and/or endurance;
  • The effect of altering technique variations on kinematics and kinetics in different resistance exercises; 
  • The impact of strength training on the enhancement of athletic performance; 
  • The use of technology/data analytics in performance monitoring during strength training and the enhancement of athletic performance;
  • The influence of anthropometrics, age, gender, and other relevant factors on performance enhancement in strength and athletic performance.

We invite authors to write original articles, review papers, or case studies providing valuable insights and contributions to the advancement of the field of sports science. 

Prof. Dr. Roland Van den Tillaar
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • kinematics
  • conditioning
  • kinetics
  • sports
  • resistance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

14 pages, 1324 KB  
Article
Enhancing Lower-Body Power in Highly Trained Female Athletes: Effects of Velocity-Based Strength Training
by Christoph Schärer, Caterina Barloggio and Jan Seiler
J. Funct. Morphol. Kinesiol. 2025, 10(4), 411; https://doi.org/10.3390/jfmk10040411 - 21 Oct 2025
Viewed by 234
Abstract
Background: Only a limited number of studies have examined the effects of short-term, strength–speed-oriented velocity-based training (VBT) on lower-body power in female junior volleyball players and elite female artistic gymnasts. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a four-week VBT intervention [...] Read more.
Background: Only a limited number of studies have examined the effects of short-term, strength–speed-oriented velocity-based training (VBT) on lower-body power in female junior volleyball players and elite female artistic gymnasts. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of a four-week VBT intervention on jump performance and force–velocity characteristics in these athletes. Methods: Seven junior female volleyball players (age: 17.4 ± 0.9 years; height: 179.4 ± 6.5 cm; weight: 74.01 ± 3.5 kg) (top-league team members), and seven elite female artistic gymnasts (age: 17.6 ± 2.9 years; height: 159.6 ± 7.2 cm; weight: 59.3 ± 6.3 kg) (National Team members) completed two weekly training sessions for four weeks, each consisting of four sets of six repetitions of parallel back squats (PBSs) and hip thrusts (HTs). Training loads were regulated using barbell velocity targets (PBSs: 0.46–0.72 m/s; HTs: 0.36–0.60 m/s). Pre- and post-intervention assessments included loaded (15–60% body mass) and unloaded squat jumps (SJs) and countermovement jumps (CMJs) to determine peak power output, jump height, and force–velocity profiles. Results: Volleyball players showed significant improvements in peak power predominantly during loaded SJs (SJ45%: +5.5%, p < 0.01; SJ60%: +5.7%, p < 0.05), whereas gymnasts exhibited greater gains in loaded CMJs (CMJ60%: +7.7%, p < 0.01). In contrast, unloaded SJ and CMJ performances remained largely unchanged for all athletes. Both groups demonstrated a significantly steeper post-intervention force–velocity profile (p < 0.001), indicating an enhanced capacity to produce force at lower movement velocities under external loading. Conclusions: Strength–speed-oriented VBT was effective in improving power production under loaded conditions but had limited transfer to unloaded jump performance. These findings highlight the necessity of subsequent training blocks emphasizing high-velocity, sport-specific movements to optimize explosive performance. Future studies should further investigate low-velocity-loss training protocols as a potential means of enhancing unloaded jump outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Strength Training and Performance Enhancement in Athletes, 3rd Edition)
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