Research

Hormonal

Performing three sets of resistance exercise produces a superior and sustained increase in myofibrillar protein synthesis (MPS) compared to one set, maintaining elevated MPS for at least 24 hours post-exercise.

If you want to maximize muscle growth potential from a single workout, perform three sets of exercises rather than just one. While one set will trigger some immediate protein synthesis, it fades within a day. Three sets sustain the anabolic signal for at least 24 hours, giving your muscles a longer window to repair and grow, especially when combined with protein intake.

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Fed-state MPS was transiently elevated above rest at 5 h for 1SET (2.3-fold) and returned to resting levels by 29 h post-exercise. However, the exercise induced increase in MPS following 3SET was superior in amplitude and duration as compared to 1SET at both 5 h (3.1-fold above rest) and 29 h post-exercise (2.3-fold above rest).
Nicholas A. Burd et al. · The Journal of Physiology · 2010

Why this rating

Randomized crossover design with trained subjects and precise isotopic tracing, though limited to acute effects.

Source

Resistance exercise volume affects myofibrillar protein synthesis and anabolic signalling molecule phosphorylation in young men

Nicholas A. Burd et al. · The Journal of Physiology · 2010

DOI 10.1113/jphysiol.2010.192856

rct · n=8Cited 312×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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