More Sets Don’t Make Muscles Bigger Longer
Don't Sweat the Swelling: Exercise Volume's Transient Effects in Trained Males.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Even after 21 sets of lower-body work, muscle thickness and echo-intensity returned to baseline within 24 hours—same as 7 sets.
Most fitness culture assumes more volume = more muscle damage = longer recovery. This study shows that in trained individuals, the body repairs swelling and fluid shifts incredibly fast—regardless of effort.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re feeling overly fatigued after high-volume sessions, cut back—your muscles aren’t getting more benefit, and your nervous system is paying the price.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Even after 21 sets of lower-body work, muscle thickness and echo-intensity returned to baseline within 24 hours—same as 7 sets.
Most fitness culture assumes more volume = more muscle damage = longer recovery. This study shows that in trained individuals, the body repairs swelling and fluid shifts incredibly fast—regardless of effort.
Practical Takeaways
If you’re feeling overly fatigued after high-volume sessions, cut back—your muscles aren’t getting more benefit, and your nervous system is paying the price.
Publication
Journal
International journal of sports medicine
Year
2026
Authors
Mike Alvarez, Alysson Enes, Tanuj Wadhi, Christopher Barakat Barakat, Jacob Rauch, Andrew Barsuhn, D. Aube, Nicholas Miller, Nicholas Chessman, Anton Bou-Sliman, JC Andersen, Tácito P. Souza-Junior, Carlos Ugrinowitsch, E. D. De Souza
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Claims (10)
Even after a really hard leg workout, guys’ thighs don’t stay swollen for more than a day — they go back to normal by the next day.
Even after a super hard leg workout, the inside of the thigh muscles don’t show signs of lasting damage or fluid buildup — they look normal again by the next day.
After doing a lot of leg exercises in one workout, guys who are used to lifting feel less recovered the next day or two than after doing fewer sets.
Even doing a ton of leg exercises doesn’t cause lasting muscle damage or fluid buildup — at least not in guys who’ve been lifting for years.
Checking your muscle size right after a workout won’t tell you how good your workout was — it’ll look normal by the next day no matter how hard you went.