After just one leg workout, the muscles in young men's thighs get temporarily thicker by about 8%, which is likely due to fluid buildup from the workout. This finding is from the abstract summary - full study details were not available.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
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Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training
The study found that after one workout, young men's thigh muscles swelled by 8.3%, just like the claim says, based on ultrasound measurements.
Contradicting (0)
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Score Breakdown
No multi-axis breakdown available yet. The overall Pro / Against score above is the best signal.
- No clinical evidence is available; the score reflects mechanistic plausibility only.
What Would Prove This
Per GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this claim, ordered from strongest to weakest.
Whether this specific resistance training session causes greater acute muscle swelling compared to placebo or lower-intensity exercise.
A double-blind RCT with 60 untrained young men randomized to perform either 3×8 at 80% 1RM or 3×8 with 30% 1RM on knee extension, with muscle thickness measured via ultrasound before and immediately after exercise by blinded technicians.
The magnitude and consistency of acute muscle swelling in response to a standardized resistance training session.
A prospective cohort study of 100 untrained individuals undergoing a single session of 3×8 at 80% 1RM, with muscle thickness measured at 9 anterior thigh sites pre- and post-exercise using standardized ultrasound protocols.
The immediate physiological response to resistance exercise across individuals at a single time point.
A cross-sectional study measuring muscle thickness before and 5 minutes after a single resistance training session in 50 untrained men and 50 trained men to compare acute swelling responses.