The Study
Load‐controlled moderate and high‐intensity resistance training programs provoke similar strength gains in young women
This study shows that two types of exercise made women stronger in a similar way, but it can't prove one caused the other because we don't know how the study was set up. It's like noticing two friends grew taller over the summer but not knowing why.
Analysis score
Maximum 90 for a randomized controlled trial.
Where the score came from
Women trained one leg with heavy weights and the other with lighter weights for 10 weeks. Both legs got stronger and bigger muscles about the same amount.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 525 / 100
Quality score
Participants are randomly assigned to treatment or control groups, minimizing bias. The gold standard for testing whether an intervention causes an effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes, these are meaningful improvements in muscle size and strength over 10 weeks
- 2Muscle size grew 3.1-12%, strength improved 10-16%
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Muscle & Nerve
Year
2015
Authors
L. Alegre, X. Aguado, Diego Rojas-Martín, M. Martín-García, I. Ara, R. Csapo
Related Content
Claims (5)
For young women, lifting lighter weights can be just as good as lifting heavier ones for building muscle and getting stronger, as long as you do the same total amount of work.
For young women lifting weights, how much total work you do might matter more for building muscle and strength than how heavy the weights are, because studies show similar results when the total effort is the same but intensity differs.
For young women, doing lighter weightlifting for 10 weeks can build leg muscle just as well as heavier lifting, with muscle growth between 3% and 12%.
For young women, doing resistance training with lighter weights for 10 weeks can build leg strength just as well as training with heavier weights, with strength gains around 10-16%.
The total amount of work your muscles do when lifting weights — how hard and how long you push — decides how strong the muscle-building signals get turned on.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.