Even though the muscles got puffy right after exercise, there was no sign of muscle damage or inflammation in the ultrasound images for the next four days.
Scientific Claim
In untrained women, blood flow-restricted leg extensions using either protocol are associated with no significant change in echo intensity of the rectus femoris and vastus lateralis over 96 hours post-exercise.
Original Statement
“There were no changes in echo intensity, sEMG amplitude, sEMG frequency, or neuromuscular efficiency.”
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 claim reflects a null result reported in the abstract. No causal language is used, and the verb 'are associated with' appropriately reflects the observational nature of the data.
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, the muscles of untrained women didn’t show any lasting changes in how they looked on ultrasound scans — meaning no damage or swelling that affects the image quality.