Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 16, 2026
Lower Limb Biomechanical Analysis of Healthy Participants
Published on: April 15, 2020
The effect of velocity-based strength training on lower limb maximal strength, power, and muscle thickness: a
Longkang Guo1, Lintao Suo1, Wendong Xue1
1Graduate Education College, Shandong Sport University, Shandong, China.
Purpose:
This study aims to explore the effects of Velocity-Based Strength Training (VBT) on lower-limb strength, power, and muscle thickness in athletes of different sexes. It aims to identify sex-specific differences in training adaptations and explore how sex modulates training outcomes.
Methods:
A total of 28 participants with more than two years of systematic resistance training experience were recruited and divided into male and female groups according to sex, with 14 participants in each group. Four participants dropped out throughout the 8-week intervention, leaving a final sample of 12 males and 12 females. All participants completed an 8-week barbell back squat training program based on a VBT protocol. The training was performed thrice a week, with the load intensity progressively increasing from 65% to 75% of one-repetition maximum (1RM), and the training volume was set at 20% velocity loss (VL). Before and after the training intervention, measurements were taken for the following indicators: squat 1RM, jumping ability [countermovement jump (CMJ), squat jump (SJ), standing long jump (SLJ)], 30-meter sprint performance (T30), and rectus femoris thickness (RFT).
Results:
After the VBT intervention, both groups exhibited significant improvements in lower limb maximal strength, jump performance, sprint ability, and rectus femoris thickness (P < 0.05). However, differences in training effects were observed between the two groups: the male group showed greater improvement magnitudes in squat 1RM (Hedges' g = 1.52, growth rate = 23.46%, P < 0.001), CMJ (Hedges' g = 1.19, growth rate = 17.70%, P < 0.001), SJ (Hedges' g = 1.28, growth rate = 17.93%, P < 0.001), and SLJ (Hedges' g = 0.63, growth rate = 5.00%, P < 0.001); the female group demonstrated a more prominent improvement in T30 (Hedges' g = 1.95, growth rate = 17.41%, P < 0.001). RFT scores significantly increased in both groups, with no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05).
Conclusion:
VBT can significantly improve lower-limb strength, power, and muscle thickness in athletes of both sexes. However, training effects vary by sex: males show greater improvements in maximal strength and jump performance, while females demonstrate more prominent sprint gains.
