Is strength training an effective physiotherapy-related strategy for injury prevention and performance enhancement in team sports? A scoping review of high-quality randomized controlled trials

Background Muscular strength that can be improved through maximal, explosive, and reactive training, reduces injury risk and enhances sport-specific performance in athletes. In team sports, increased strength boosts physical and neuromuscular function, delays fatigue, speeds recovery and optimizes technical execution and decision-making during competition. Therefore, this scoping review aims to explore existing intervention studies to understand the role of strength training (ST) as an effective strategy for preventing injuries and enhancing performance in team sports. Methods A comprehensive search was conducted in five databases (SciVerse Scopus, PubMed, Web of Science, SPORTDiscus, and CINAHL) from 2015 to 2024. Keywords related to strength training, injuries, and team sports were used in the search. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effectiveness of ST in preventing injuries and enhancing performance in team sports. The methodological quality of the included studies was assessed using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database scale. Results This review included 15 RCTs involving team sports: soccer (n = 9), volleyball (n = 3), and one each for football, handball, and rugby. Participants had a mean age range of 12.7 to 25.8 years, with sample sizes varying from 20 to 652 athletes. Four studies demonstrated dual benefits, highlighting the ability of ST to simultaneously enhance biomechanical alignment, address muscle imbalances, and optimize both injury prevention and performance outcomes. Three RCTs focused solely on strengthening interventions for injuries reported that ST effectively reduced the incidence of sports injuries, including hamstring strains (n = 2), groin injuries (n = 1), and overall injuries (n = 4). Performance metrics such as sprint speed, jump height, muscle strength, and endurance were significantly improved with ST in eight studies. Conclusions ST can be considered an effective physiotherapy-related strategy for injury prevention and performance enhancement in team sports across different age groups and genders, as suggested by high-quality RCTs.