After just one workout, drop sets made muscles swell more and temporarily made guys weaker than before, while regular sets didn’t cause these changes.

Scientific Claim

A single bout of drop set resistance training is associated with a 18.3±5.8% increase in muscle thickness and a 13.3±7.1% decrease in maximal voluntary contraction in young men, while conventional training shows no such acute changes.

Original Statement

“Acute pre/post measurements for one bout of RT showed significant changes in MT (18.3±5.8%, P<0.001) and MVC (-13.3±7.1, P<0.05) in the DS group only...”

From study:Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength.

Evidence Quality Assessment

Claim Status

appropriately stated

Study Design Support

Design supports claim

Appropriate Language Strength

association

Can only show association/correlation

Assessment Explanation

The claim accurately reflects the acute, within-group changes observed in one session. No causal language is used, and the association is appropriately framed.

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength.

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

The study found that doing one intense set of drop training made muscles swell up and temporarily weaker right after, while regular training didn’t do that — just like the claim said.

Contradicting (0)

No contradicting evidence found

Source Study

Effects of drop set resistance training on acute stress indicators and long-term muscle hypertrophy and strength.

Score: 45

DOI: 10.23736/s0022-4707.17.06838-4

Similar Assertions

After one workout, guys who did drop sets were temporarily weaker than before, more so than those who did regular sets.

90%

People felt like they worked much harder during drop sets than during regular sets, even though they did fewer total sets.

84%

Drop sets made guys feel more tired and their muscles puff up more after one workout, but they didn’t make them stronger in the long run than regular sets.

83%

Drop sets made muscles puff up more and felt harder, but didn’t make the body produce more lactic acid or raise the heart rate more than regular sets.

82%

Doing drop sets (lifting heavy, then lighter weights without rest) builds strength just as well as doing regular sets with the same total weight, at least in young men who already lift weights.

82%