Table 1.

Search strategy adopted in the present systematic review and meta-analysis.

Search Strategy Item	Details
Searched keywords	handball AND “resistance training” AND (maximal strength OR force OR power OR throwing velocity OR isometric strength OR isokinetic strength)
Searched databases	PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), Scopus and ISI/Web of Science
Inclusion criteria	P (Participants/population): handball athletes (either amateur or professional players), men or women, youths or adults; E (Exposures): handball players exposed to RT; C (Comparator(s)/control): other kinds of training versus RT; O (Outcomes): the effect of the RT on maximal strength, isometric or isokinetic strength, power, throwing velocity; S (Study design): Any experimental study design.
Exclusion criteria	P (Participants/population): sports athletes other than handball players; E (Exposures): handball players exposed to training other than RT or combined with RT, in which it was not possible to pull out the single effects of RT; C (Comparator(s)/control): other kinds of training rather than RT versus RT; O (Outcomes): the effect of the RT on other variables; S (Study design): expert opinion; comment/commentary; editorial/letter to editor; review.

Abbreviation: resistance training (RT).