The Claim

Doing leg extensions makes the front thigh muscle grow more evenly along its length than doing squats, which don’t stimulate that muscle as much.

Source: Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises

What the research says

Supports is higher

Support is ahead, but a single strong opposing study can change this.

Supports
48score
Challenges
0score

These are independent scores, not a percentage. Higher-grade studies count more, so a single strong opposing study can outweigh several weaker ones.

Cause and effect
1 study reviewed
In plain English

Doing leg extensions makes the front thigh muscle grow more evenly along its length than doing squats, which don’t stimulate that muscle as much.

See the scientific wording

Leg extension exercises lead to greater hypertrophy of the rectus femoris muscle at proximal, middle, and distal sites (increases of 11.4%, 12.3%, and 17.5%, respectively) compared to back squats (2.0%, 5.7%, and 7.9%) in untrained young women after 8 weeks of training, suggesting exercise-specific muscle activation patterns influence regional muscle growth.

What the research says

1 study

  1. Study: Comparison of Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Adaptations Induced by Back Squat and Leg Extension Resistance Exercises

    The study found that leg extensions made the front thigh muscle grow more than squats did, at every part of the muscle, which is exactly what the claim says.

Score breakdown, mechanism chain, raw evidence, ideal studies needed & 1 supporting studies

Fit Body Science verdict — we translate health claims into clear verdicts backed by peer-reviewed research.

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