The Claim

Training to failure during resistance exercise impairs gains in fast-twitch muscle power at 180°/s in previously untrained young women, whereas submaximal training with equal volume preserves or enhances these adaptations.

Source: Strength Training with Repetitions to Failure does not Provide Additional Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy Gains in Young Women

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
64score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

In previously untrained young women, lifting weights until muscle failure reduces gains in explosive leg power at high speeds compared to lifting with the same total effort but stopping short of failure.

See the scientific wording

Training to failure during resistance exercise may impair gains in fast-twitch muscle power at high velocities (180°/s) in previously untrained young women, while submaximal training with equal volume preserves or enhances these adaptations.

Why this might work

When muscles are pushed to complete exhaustion, the nerves controlling them become less able to send strong signals quickly, which reduces the number of fast-twitch muscle fibers that can fire at high speeds, making powerful movements slower.

Supported mechanismbased on 1 study

What the research says

1 study
  1. Study: Strength Training with Repetitions to Failure does not Provide Additional Strength and Muscle Hypertrophy Gains in Young Women

    Pushing your muscles to exhaustion during weight training didn't help you kick or punch faster, but stopping before total fatigue did. So, going all-out might hurt your speed and power, even if it makes your muscles bigger.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.