Is sweating and burning during workouts what makes muscles grow?
Potential Mechanisms for a Role of Metabolic Stress in Hypertrophic Adaptations to Resistance Training
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Acute hormonal spikes (testosterone, GH) after training don’t lead to more muscle growth.
Bodybuilders have spent decades chasing post-workout hormone surges with supplements and training protocols—this says it’s all noise.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on progressive overload with heavy weights (70%+ 1RM) for 6–12 reps—skip the endless burn-focused sets.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Acute hormonal spikes (testosterone, GH) after training don’t lead to more muscle growth.
Bodybuilders have spent decades chasing post-workout hormone surges with supplements and training protocols—this says it’s all noise.
Practical Takeaways
Focus on progressive overload with heavy weights (70%+ 1RM) for 6–12 reps—skip the endless burn-focused sets.
Publication
Journal
Sports Medicine
Year
2013
Authors
Brad J. Schoenfeld
Related Content
Claims (10)
The total mechanical tension accumulated over time is the primary stimulus for skeletal muscle hypertrophy, regardless of the temporal distribution of training sessions.
Total mechanical tension accumulated over time is the primary stimulus for skeletal muscle hypertrophy, regardless of the temporal distribution of training sessions.
When your muscles swell up from the burn during a workout, that puffiness might trick your cells into thinking they’re being stretched, turning on growth signals — like a fake workout signal.
The tiny harmful molecules made when your muscles burn during exercise might actually help them grow by sending growth signals — but too many can hurt instead.
When your muscles get tired and burn during exercise, they release signaling chemicals (like IL-6) that might help repair and grow muscle by activating nearby stem cells — but we’re still figuring out if this really happens in people.