Date of Award
5-1-2026
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph.D. in Health and Kinesiology
First Advisor
Jeremy P. Loenneke
Second Advisor
Jeremy P. Loenneke
Third Advisor
Matthew B. Jessee
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Purpose: To examine the effects of resistance training load and a single bout of maximal strength testing on skeletal muscle growth, distal biceps brachii tendon thickness, and task-specific and non-specific strength outcomes relative to a time-matched non-exercise control group. Methods: 216 young (~21 years), non-resistance trained adults (125 females) were enrolled, with 201 (118 females) included in the final analyses. Participants were randomized to: High-Load (n=45), Low-Load (n=48), Mid-Point (n=54), or Control (n=54). High- and Low-Load completed 6 weeks of unilateral elbow flexion resistance training to task failure, Mid-Point completed a one-repetition maximum (1RM) elbow flexion test at 3-weeks, and Control completed pre- and post-testing only. Outcomes included changes in elbow flexor muscle thickness (60%, 70% sites), distal biceps brachii tendon thickness (short- and long-head regions), task-specific (1RM elbow flexion), non-specific (isometric peak torque), and handgrip strength. Group differences were evaluated using Bayesian ANCOVA (pre-test values as covariates), with adjusted estimates and 95% CrIs derived from Bayesian regression models. Results: Analyses supported Low-Load > High-Load > Mid-Point = Control for the 60% and 70% muscle thickness sites (BFu=38.97, 56.04; PMPa=0.998, 0.994, respectively), with the greatest increases for Low-Load (+0.30 cm) followed by High-Load (+0.20 cm), and minimal changes in Mid-Point. Tendon adaptations were region-specific, with all three groups showing similar increases versus Control (+0.02-0.03 cm) at the short-head, but no differences at the long-head (BFu=109.34, PMPa=0.912). For task-specific 1RM strength, High-Load produced greater increases than Control, Mid-Point, and Low-Load (+0.64, +0.79, and +1.13 kg, respectively), whereas Low-Load was below Control, and Mid-Point did not differ than Control (-0.49, -0.16 kg, respectively). No between-group differences were observed for isometric peak torque nor handgrip strength (BFu=352.04, 76.39; PMPa=0.700, 0.585, respectively). Conclusion: Low-load resistance training produced the greatest increases in elbow flexor muscle thickness but reduced 1RM strength, whereas high-load training produced the greatest improvements in 1RM. Tendon adaptations were region-specific, but not load-dependent. Strength gains did not transfer to non-specific tasks, and a single bout of 1RM testing did not improve strength outcomes. These findings reinforce the principle of training specificity and provide evidence that resistance training load produces outcome-specific adaptations.
Recommended Citation
Hammert, William Blake, "Investigating the Effects of High- and Low-Load Resistance Training on Tendon Size, Muscle Growth, and Strength Adaptations" (2026). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 8825.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/8825