Even if you make your muscles feel that burning, swollen 'pump' feeling during a workout by boosting certain chemicals, it doesn't actually make your muscles grow bigger—studies show muscle growth doesn't happen just from that sensation.

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Load-induced human skeletal muscle hypertrophy: Mechanisms, myths, and misconceptions

Narrative Review

2025 Nov 21

This study says that the burning feeling and muscle pump you get during workouts don’t actually make your muscles grow—what really matters is how hard you pull or push against resistance.

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Source Study

Load-induced human skeletal muscle hypertrophy: Mechanisms, myths, and misconceptions

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1016/j.jshs.2025.101104

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