When you lift weights until your muscles burn, the buildup of waste products might help your muscles grow bigger, but scientists aren't sure yet if it's actually causing the growth or just happening at the same time.

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Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

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Potential Mechanisms for a Role of Metabolic Stress in Hypertrophic Adaptations to Resistance Training

Narrative Review

2013 Mar

This study says that when you lift weights and your muscles burn, the buildup of certain chemicals might help your muscles grow bigger — and it agrees with the claim that this could be true, even if we don’t have final proof yet.

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According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Potential Mechanisms for a Role of Metabolic Stress in Hypertrophic Adaptations to Resistance Training

Score: 1

DOI: 10.1007/s40279-013-0017-1

Similar Assertions

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