The Claim
In untrained young men, lower pre-training vastus lateralis muscle thickness is associated with greater muscle growth following 12 weeks of resistance training, although baseline muscle thickness accounts for only 11% of the variance in hypertrophy, indicating that initial muscle size is a weak predictor of individual response.
What the research says
Supports is higher
Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.
These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.
People who start working out with thinner thigh muscles tend to grow them bigger faster than those who start with thicker thighs—but how thick your muscles are at the beginning doesn’t tell you much about how much they’ll grow overall.
See the scientific wording
In untrained young men, individuals with lower pre-training vastus lateralis muscle thickness experienced greater muscle growth after 12 weeks of resistance training, though baseline thickness explained only 11% of the variation in hypertrophy, suggesting that initial muscle size is a weak predictor of individual response.
What the research says
1 studyEven if you start with smaller muscles, you might still grow them a lot after lifting weights — and your starting size doesn’t tell you much about how much you’ll grow. The study found that people with thinner muscles at the beginning often gained more, but not by much, so you can’t really predict results just by looking at how big someone is at first.
Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.