Biology of Sport
eISSN: 2083-1862
ISSN: 0860-021X
Biology of Sport
Current Issue Manuscripts accepted About the journal Editorial board Abstracting and indexing Archive Ethical standards and procedures Contact Instructions for authors Journal's Reviewers Special Information
Editorial System
Submit your Manuscript
SCImago Journal & Country Rank
Share:
Share:
Original paper

Effects of a 6-week horizontal speed deceleration training on measures of physical fitness in youth tennis players

Yassine Negra
1, 2
,
Senda Sammoud
1, 3
,
Raja Bouguezzi
1, 2
,
Jason Moran
4
,
Rodrigo Ramirez-Campillo
5, 6
,
Younés Hachana
1, 2
,
Helmi Chaabene
3, 7

  1. Research Laboratory (LR23JS01) «Sport Performance, Health & Society»
  2. Higher Institute of Sport and Physical Education of Ksar Saïd, University of “La Manouba”, Tunisia, 2037
  3. Université de Jendouba, Institut Supérieur de Sport et de l’Education Physique du Kef, 7100, Le Kef, Tunisie
  4. School of Sport, Rehabilitation, and Exercise Sciences, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
  5. Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute. Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences. Universidad Andres Bello. Santiago 7591538, Chile
  6. Department of Physical Activity Sciences. Universidad de Los Lagos. Osorno, Chile
  7. University Hospital Magdeburg, Department of Cardiology and Angiology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, 39120 Magdeburg, Germany
Biol Sport. 2026;43:1293–1301
Online publish date: 2026/04/20
Article file
- 93_04726_Article.pdf  [0.26 MB]
Get citation
 
PlumX metrics:
 
1. Fernandez-Fernandez J, Ulbricht A, Ferrauti A. Fitness testing of tennis players: how valuable is it? Br J Sports Med. 2014; 48(Suppl 1):i22–i31.
2. Fernandez-Fernandez J, Canos-Portales J, Martinez-Gallego R, Corbi F, Baiget E. Effects of different maturity status on change of direction performance of youth tennis players. Biol Sport. 2023; 40(3):867–876.
3. Lindinger SJ, Stöggl T, Wagner H, Muller E. Kinematic differences of elite and high-performance tennis players in the cross court and down the line forehand. Sports Biomech. 2010; 9(4):280–295.
4. Di Mascio M, Ade J, Musham C, Girard O, Bradley PS. Soccer-specific reactive repeated-sprint ability in elite youth soccer players: maturation trends and association with various physical performance tests. J Strength Cond Res. 2020; 34(12):3538–3545.
5. Chaabene H, Negra Y. The effect of plyometric training volume on athletic performance in prepubertal male soccer players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2017; 12(9):1205–1211.
6. Negra Y, Chaabene H, Hammami M, Hachana Y, Granacher U. Effects of high-velocity resistance training on athletic performance in prepubertal male soccer athletes. J Strength Cond Res. 2016; 30(11):3290–3297.
7. Deng N, Soh KG, Huang D, Abdullah B, Luo S, Rattanakoses W. Effects of plyometric training on skill and physical performance in healthy tennis players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Physiol. 2022; 13:1024418.
8. Moya-Ramon M, Nakamura FY, Teixeira AS, Granacher U, Santos-Rosa FJ, Sanz-Rivas D, Fernandez-Fernandez J. Effects of resisted vs conventional sprint training on physical fitness in young elite tennis players. J Hum Kinet. 2020; 73:181–192.
9. Yang W, Yin L, Poon E, et al. Effects of low-volume court-based sprint interval training on aerobic capacity and sport-specific endurance performance in competitive tennis players. Biol Sport. 2025; 42(1):223–232.
10. Abdelkader M, Hammami R, Drury B, Clark N, Sandercock G, Shaw I, Moran J. A randomised controlled trial of 1-versus 2-day per week formats of Nordic hamstring training on explosive athletic tasks in prepubertal soccer players. J Sports Sci. 2022; 40(19):2173–2181.
11. Chaabene H, Prieske O, Negra Y, Granacher U. Change of direction speed: toward a strength training approach with accentuated eccentric muscle actions. Sports Med. 2018; 48:1773–1779.
12. Bright TE, Handford MJ, Mundy P, Lake J, Theis N, Hughes JD. Building for the future: a systematic review of the effects of eccentric resistance training on measures of physical performance in youth athletes. Sports Med. 2023; 53(6):1219–1254.
13. Harper DJ, McBurnie A, Dos’santos T, Eriksrud O, Evans M, Cohen D, Rhodes D, Carling C, Kiely J. Biomechanical and neuromuscular performance requirements of horizontal deceleration: a review with implications for random intermittent multidirectional sports. Sports Med. 2022; 52(10):2321–2354.
14. Negra Y, Sammoud S, Bouguezzi R, Moran J, Chaabene H. Effects of a horizontal speed deceleration training programme on measures of physical fitness in youth male handball players. J Sport Sci. 2024; 42(7):638–645.
15. Kovacs MS, Roetert P, Ellenbecker TS. Efficient deceleration: the forgotten factor in tennis-specific training. Strength Cond J. 2008; 30(2):92–103.
16. Lockie RG, Jeffriess MD, McGann T, Callaghan SJ, Schultz AB. Planned and reactive agility performance in semi-professional and amateur basketball players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2014; 9(5):766–771.
17. Moore SA, McKay HA, Macdonald H, Nettlefold L, Baxter-Jones AD, Cameron N, et al. Enhancing a somatic maturity prediction model. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015; 47(8):1755–1764.
18. Buchheit M. The 30–15 intermittent fitness test: accuracy for individualizing interval training of young intermittent sport players. J Strength Cond Res. 2008; 22:365–374.
19. Hopkins WG, Marshall SW, Batterham AM, Hanin J. Progressive statistics for studies in sports medicine and exercise science. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009; 41(3):3–13.
20. Chapelle L, Pion J, Clarys P, Rommers N, D’Hondt E. Anthropometric and physical performance determinants of young tennis players progressing through a talent identification and development programme. Int J Sports Sci Coaching. 2002; 1(3):1469–1477.
21. Ulbricht A, Fernandez-Fernandez J, Mendez-Villanueva A, Ferrauti A. Impact of fitness characteristics on tennis performance in elite junior tennis players. J Strength Cond Res. 2016; 30(4):989–998.
22. Moran J, Vali N, Drury B, Hammami R, Tallent J, Chaabene H, Ramirez-Campillo R, Clemente FM. The effect of volume-equated 1-versus 2-day formats of Nordic hamstring exercise training on fitness in youth soccer players: a randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2022; 17(12):e0279348.
23. Chaabene H, Negra Y, Moran J, Prieske O, Sammoud S, Ramirez-Campillo R, et al. Effects of an eccentric hamstrings training on components of physical performance in young female handball players. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2019; 15(1):91–97.
24. Timmins RG, Ruddy JD, Presland J, Maniar N, Williams M. Architectural changes of the biceps femoris long head after concentric or eccentric training. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016; 48(3):499–508.
25. Bautista IJ, Vicente-Mampel J, Baraja-Vegas L, Segarra V, Martín F, Van Hooren B. The effects of the Nordic hamstring exercise on sprint performance and eccentric knee flexor strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studies among team sport players. J Sci Med Sport. 2021; 24(9):931–938.
26. Lambrich J, Muehlbauer T. Effects of athletic training on physical fitness and stroke velocity in healthy youth and adult tennis players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Sports Act Living. 2022; 4:1061087.
27. Fiorilli G, Mariano I, Luliano E, Giombini A, Ciccarelli A, Buonsenso A, Calcagano G, di Cagno A. Isoinertial eccentric-overload training in young soccer players: effects on strength, sprint, change of direction, agility, and soccer shooting precision. J Sports Sci Med. 2020; 19(1):213–223.
28. Morin JB, Gimenez P, Edouard P, Arnal P, Jimenez-Reyes P, Samozino P, et al. Sprint acceleration mechanics: the major role of hamstrings in horizontal force production. Front Physiol. 2015; 6:404.
29. Sheppard JM, Young WB. Agility literature review: classifications, training and testing. J Sports Sci. 2006; 24(9):919–932.
30. Harper DJ, Cohen DD, Carling C, Kiely J. Can countermovement jump neuromuscular performance qualities differentiate maximal horizontal deceleration ability in team sport athletes? Sports. 2020; 8(6):76.
31. Maroto-Izquierdo S, García-López D, Fernandez-Gonzalo R, Moreira OC, González-Gallego J, de Paz JA. Skeletal muscle functional and structural adaptations after eccentric overload flywheel resistance training: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Sci Med Sport. 2017; 20(10):943–951.
32. Massuca LM, Fragoso I, Teles J. Attributes of top elite team-handball players. J Strength Cond Res. 2014; 28(1):178–186.
33. Bontemps B, Gruet M, Louis J, Owens DJ, Miric S, Erskine RM, Vercruyssen F. The time course of different neuromuscular adaptations to short-term downhill running training and their specific relationships with strength gains. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2022; 122(4):1071–1084.
34. Lloyd RS, Oliver JL, Hughes MG, Williams CA. The effects of 4-weeks of plyometric training on reactive strength index and leg stiffness in male youths. J Strength Cond Res. 2012; 26(10):2812–2819.
35. Ramsay JA, Blimkie CJ, Smith K, Garner S, MacDougall JD, Sale DG. Strength training effects in prepubescent boys. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1990; 22(5):605–614.
36. Voigt M, Chelli F, Frigo C. Changes in the excitability of soleus muscle short latency stretch reflexes during human hopping after 4 weeks of hopping training. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1998; 78:522–532.
37. Ishoi L, Holmich P, Aagaard P, Thorborg K, Bandholm T, Serner A. Effects of the Nordic hamstring exercise on sprint capacity in male football players: a randomized controlled trial. J Sports Sci. 2018; 36(14):1663–1672.
38. McBurnie AJ, Harper DJ, Jones PA, Dos’santos T. Deceleration training in team sports: another potential ‘vaccine’ for sports-related injury? Sports Med. 2022; 52(1):1–12.
Copyright: Institute of Sport. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). This license enables reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, so long as attribution is given to the creator. The license allows for commercial use.
 
Quick links
© 2026 Termedia Sp. z o.o.
Developed by Termedia.