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ABSTRACT
This conceptual review synthesises current evidence on the relationship between muscular strength and five performance-determining qualities: sport-specific movement velocity, movement economy, postural control, fatigue tolerance, and recovery rate. Drawing on force–velocity profiling research, strength-training intervention studies, and neuromuscular fatigue literature, the review argues that strength does not operate as an isolated fitness component but as a common physiological substrate that modulates the rate of force development, the mechanical efficiency of locomotion, the stability of the kinetic chain, the capacity to resist fatigue, and the speed of neuromuscular recovery between and within training sessions. Evidence indicates that greater relative strength is associated with superior sprinting, jumping, and change-of-direction performance; that strength training can improve running economy, particularly at higher running speeds and in athletes with high aerobic capacity; that trunk and lower-limb strength contribute to postural and core stability during dynamic sport actions; and that stronger, better-trained neuromuscular systems tend to tolerate high-intensity efforts with a more favourable fatigue and recovery profile. An integrated conceptual model is proposed in which strength functions as a central node connecting these otherwise distinct performance qualities. Practical implications for the periodisation of strength training within athletic development programmes are discussed, along with limitations of the existing evidence base and directions for future sport-specific, longitudinal research.
Keywords: Muscular Strength; Biomotor Abilities; Movement Velocity; Movement Economy; Postural Control; Neuromuscular Fatigue; Recovery; Athletic Performance