More reps don’t break your muscles more than heavy lifts — but they do make you more stressed and tired right after.
Scientific Claim
High-volume resistance exercise (8 sets of 10 repetitions) does not cause greater muscle damage than high-intensity exercise (8 sets of 3 repetitions) in trained men, despite producing greater acute fatigue and inflammatory responses.
Original Statement
“Markers of muscle damage (LDH, CK, and Mb) were significantly elevated following both HV and HI (p < 0.05), while cortisol and IL-6 concentrations were significantly elevated at P-30 min following HV only (p < 0.001 and p < 0.05, respectively).”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The claim correctly contrasts the differential effects on fatigue/inflammation versus muscle damage, aligning precisely with the data and avoiding overinterpretation.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (0)
Contradicting (1)
Comparison of the recovery response from high-intensity and high-volume resistance exercise in trained men
The study found that doing more reps (8 sets of 10) caused more muscle damage than doing fewer, heavier reps (8 sets of 3), even though both hurt—so the claim that they cause the same damage is wrong.