The Study
Physiological changes with periodized resistance training in women tennis players.
This study compared two ways of lifting weights for tennis players and found that switching up the weights and reps (periodized) helped them get stronger and hit the ball harder than using the same weights all the time. But it only tested a small group of college women, so we can't say it works the same for everyone.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Two groups of college tennis players lifted weights for 9 months—one kept doing the same lifts, the other switched between heavy and lighter weights. The group that changed their routine got stronger and hit tennis balls faster.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 560 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes—these improvements mean players can hit harder serves and groundstrokes, jump higher for volleys, and gain a competitive edge in matches.
- 2The group that changed workouts got 19% stronger on leg press, 23% on bench press, 24% on shoulder press, jumped 50% higher, and served 29% faster than the group that did the same workout.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Medicine and science in sports and exercise
Year
2003
Authors
W. Kraemer, K. Hakkinen, N. Triplett-McBride, A. Fry, L. Koziris, N. Ratamess, J. Bauer, J. Volek, T. Mcconnell, R. Newton, S. Gordon, D. Cummings, J. Hauth, Frank M. Pullo, J. Lynch, S. Fleck, S. Mazzetti, H. Knuttgen
Related Content
Claims (5)
Among female collegiate tennis players, a 9-month resistance training program that varies intensity in a structured, non-linear pattern leads to larger gains in maximum strength for leg press, bench press, and shoulder press than a program with constant intensity.
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.
Collegiate women tennis players who followed a periodized resistance training program for 9 months improved their vertical jump height more than those who followed a nonperiodized program.
Collegiate women tennis players who perform resistance training for 9 months experience a decrease in their maximal oxygen uptake, regardless of how the resistance training is structured.
In collegiate women tennis players, 9 months of resistance training raises levels of insulin-like growth factor-1, testosterone, and cortisol in the blood at rest, and training programs that vary in structure produce higher cortisol levels than those that do not vary.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.