Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Methodology

Meta-analysis

Population

Multiple studies; healthy adults, mixed training status

Intervention

Different weekly set volumes per muscle group vs control or lower volume

Findings

There is a graded dose-response relationship between weekly sets and hypertrophy. Higher volumes (>10 sets/week) produced greater hypertrophy than lower volumes, with each additional set associated with roughly a 0.37% increase in muscle size.

Outcome measures

Muscle hypertrophy (muscle cross-sectional area, thickness, lean body mass)

Limitations

Heterogeneity across studies; most data from untrained populations; ceiling effects not well established.

Original source

DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000001514 · PMID: 27433992