{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,26]],"date-time":"2026-03-26T00:44:32Z","timestamp":1774485872145,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"4","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,12]],"date-time":"2024-12-12T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1733961600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Team Danmark","award":["NNF.22SA0078293"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["NNF.22SA0078293"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JFMK"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Team handball involves a high number of rapid and forceful muscle actions. Progressive heavy-load resistance training is known to enhance mechanical muscle function; however, its transfer into functional performance in team handball athletes remains largely unknown. The current study aimed to analyze the effects of eight weeks undulating heavy-load resistance training on lower limb mechanical muscle function and sports-specific performance in elite female team handball players. Methods: Players from the Danish Women\u2019s Handball League were block randomized to perform an off-season resistance training program (RT, n = 12, 23.0 \u00b1 2.7 yr) or follow a training-as-usual control program (CON, n = 15, 24.1 \u00b1 3.8 yr). All study participants were tested before and after an eight-week period during the off-season phase, including assessments of maximal isometric knee extensor and flexor peak torque, rate of torque development, countermovement jump (CMJ) power\/work, and sports-specific performance (maximal vertical countermovement jump height, sprint capacity, team handball-specific on-court agility). Results: Agility performance improved for RT (\u22123.5%, p = 0.008), different from CON (p &lt; 0.001) following eight weeks of designated resistance training. Additionally, CON demonstrated impaired agility (+4.0\u20137.3%, p &lt; 0.05) and 20-m sprint (+1.9%, p = 0.002) performance. Maximal knee extensor peak torque increased in RT (4.5%, p = 0.044). Vertical CMJ flight height (JH) increased in both groups (RT +4.8%, p = 0.012, CON +8.4% p = 0.044); however, jump height relative to ground level (JHGL) increased in RT only (+8.0%, p = 0.013). Conclusions: In conclusion, designated resistance training during the off-season period is effective in maintaining and improving essential components of sports-specific performance and maximal knee extensor strength in elite female team handball players. Comparable protocols of twice-a-week heavy-load resistance training may also be beneficial in other types of intermittent elite team sports (i.e., football, basketball) that include maximal jumping actions, short-distance sprints, and rapid change of direction movements.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jfmk9040268","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,12]],"date-time":"2024-12-12T03:52:49Z","timestamp":1733975569000},"page":"268","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":4,"title":["Effects of Off-Season Heavy-Load Resistance Training on Lower Limb Mechanical Muscle Function and Physical Performance in Elite Female Team Handball Players"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"9","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-8146-5170","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bj\u00f8rn","family":"Fristrup","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Muscle Physiology and Biomechanics (MoB), Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1461-9838","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Peter","family":"Krustrup","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, SDU Sport and Health Sciences Cluster (SHSC), University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Danish Institute for Advanced Study (DIAS), University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"},{"name":"Sport and Health Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX1 2LU, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0005-8996-1741","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Anders Kl\u00f8ve","family":"Petz","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Muscle Physiology and Biomechanics (MoB), Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5959-6994","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jesper","family":"Bencke","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Human Movement Analysis Laboratory, Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Copenhagen University Hospital, Amager-Hvidovre, 2650 Hvidovre, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5301-3241","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mette K.","family":"Zebis","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Midwifery, Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy and Psychomotor Therapy, University College Copenhagen, 2200 Copenhagen, Denmark"},{"name":"Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital-Bispebjerg and Frederiksberg, 2400 Copenhagen, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9773-7361","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Per","family":"Aagaard","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Research Unit for Muscle Physiology and Biomechanics (MoB), Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark, 5230 Odense, Denmark"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,12,12]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"101","DOI":"10.1080\/19346182.2008.9648459","article-title":"Measurement Issues with Elite Athletes","volume":"1","author":"Sands","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sports Technol."},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"595","article-title":"Match Performance and Physiological Capacity of Female Elite Team Handball Players","volume":"35","author":"Michalsik","year":"2014","journal-title":"Int. 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