Doing calf raises with your knees straight (standing on toes) makes the inner part of your calf muscle grow more than doing them with your knees bent (seated), because the muscle is stretched more.
Scientific Claim
Straight-leg toe press exercises are likely to produce greater hypertrophy in the medial gastrocnemius compared to seated calf raises in trained young adults after 8 weeks of training, due to the knee-extending position placing the muscle under greater stretch.
Original Statement
“Regarding the triceps surae, the point estimate favored straight-leg plantar flexion for muscle thickness of the medial gastrocnemius (P = 0.991), with equivocal results observed for the lateral gastrocnemius and soleus.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
probability
Can suggest probability/likelihood
Assessment Explanation
The claim uses 'likely' and correctly limits scope to medial gastrocnemius. The high posterior probability (P=0.991) supports probabilistic causal language consistent with the study’s Bayesian analysis.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
Exercise Selection Differentially Influences Lower Body Regional Muscle Development
This study found that doing calf raises with your knees straight (toe press) made the inner part of your calf muscle grow more than doing them with your knees bent (seated calf raise), which matches the claim.