After doing leg exercises with tight bands around the thighs, the muscles in the front of the thighs get temporarily puffy right after, but go back to normal by the next day.
Scientific Claim
In untrained women, bilateral leg extensions performed with blood flow restriction using either 75 total repetitions or four sets to volitional failure are associated with an acute increase in muscle thickness and cross-sectional area of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis immediately after exercise, which returns to baseline within 24 hours.
Original Statement
“Collapsed across conditions, muscle thickness and cross-sectional area increased at 0-hours for the rectus femoris (2.5 ± 0.4, 2.8 ± 0.4 cm, 10.6 ± 1.8, 12.1 ± 1.8 cm2, respectively) and vastus lateralis (2.1 ± 0.5, 2.5 ± 0.7 cm; 22.2 ± 3.9, 25.1 ± 4.5 cm2, respectively), but returned to baseline at 24-hours.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design cannot support claim
Appropriate Language Strength
association
Can only show association/correlation
Assessment Explanation
The abstract describes observed changes without establishing causation or comparing protocols meaningfully. The verb 'are associated with' is conservative and appropriate given the lack of confirmed control group or randomization.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Muscle Swelling and Neuromuscular Responses Following Blood Flow Restricted Exercise in Untrained Women
The study found that after doing leg exercises with restricted blood flow, women’s thigh muscles temporarily got puffier right after working out, but went back to normal by the next day — exactly what the claim says.