Is Muscle Soreness a Sign That Your Muscles are Getting Huge?

In the May 2011 edition of Muscular Development, a study was presented posing the following question: is muscle soreness indicative of muscle hypertrophy, or an increase in muscle size? The study utilized a stationary bike, with the resistance set to extreme levels, to overly fatigue the lower body muscles. Participants included well-trained individuals as well as people that were mostly sedentary. After each group performed the workout, perceived muscle soreness was recorded—along with levels of growth factors such as Insulin-like Growth Factor-1, or IGF-1.