The Claim

Periodized resistance training results in significantly greater increases in tennis serve, forehand, and backhand ball velocities compared to nonperiodized resistance training in collegiate women tennis players after 9 months, with mean velocity increases of 29% vs. 16%, 22% vs. 17%, and 36% vs. 14% respectively.

Source: Physiological changes with periodized resistance training in women tennis players.

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
60score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Collegiate women tennis players who follow a periodized resistance training program experience larger increases in the speed of their serve, forehand, and backhand shots after 9 months compared to those who follow a nonperiodized program.

See the scientific wording

Periodized resistance training leads to significantly greater improvements in tennis serve, forehand, and backhand ball velocities than nonperiodized training in collegiate women tennis players, with increases of 29% vs. 16%, 22% vs. 17%, and 36% vs. 14% respectively after 9 months, indicating that structured intensity variation enhances sport-specific power transfer.

Why this might work

Changing the weightlifting intensity over time makes muscles stronger and more powerful by activating the fastest muscle fibers more often, which builds more muscle and improves how the brain and nerves coordinate force. This extra force starts from the legs and hips, moves through the core, and ends with the arm swinging the racket faster, making the ball go harder and quicker.

Verified mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Physiological changes with periodized resistance training in women tennis players.

    Women tennis players who changed their weightlifting routine over time hit their serves and shots much harder than those who used the same weights the whole time, because switching up the training helped them get stronger and more powerful.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

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