After a tough bicep workout, your muscles swell and show stress signs, but they bounce back fully by the next day — so these signs don’t tell you much about long-term growth.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2019 Sep 4

The study checked how much the biceps swelled and changed in texture after arm curls and found that these changes went back to normal within 24 hours, meaning they’re not useful for tracking long-term muscle growth.

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No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

The Effects of Varying Glenohumeral Joint Angle on Acute Volume Load, Muscle Activation, Swelling, and Echo-Intensity on the Biceps Brachii in Resistance-Trained Individuals

Score: 51

DOI: 10.3390/sports7090204

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