High-intensity resistance training at 90% 1RM produces equivalent levels of delayed onset muscle soreness compared to moderate-intensity resistance training at 80% 1RM in male academy soccer players, despite a 58% reduction in training volume, indicating that training volume is the primary determinant of delayed onset muscle soreness.

When male academy soccer players perform high-intensity weight training at 90% of their maximum strength versus moderate-intensity training at 80% of their maximum strength, they experience the same level of muscle soreness afterward, even though the high-intensity session uses 58% less total work. This suggests that the total amount of work performed, not how hard each lift is, determines how sore the muscles become.