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mechanistic

History

In untrained young adults, performing seated calf raises with the knee bent for 12 weeks leads to less than 1.7% increase in gastrocnemius muscle size, indicating that training biarticular muscles at...

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Against

Mechanism

Synthesis from 1 study

How it works

The gastrocnemius muscle grows only when it is stretched while pushing against resistance. When the knee is bent during calf raises, the muscle is already short and cannot generate enough internal tension to trigger growth. When the knee is straight, the muscle stretches as it contracts, creating...

Most probable mechanism

In Simple Terms

When a muscle is stretched while it contracts, it pulls harder on its fibers and creates more internal stress, which signals the muscle to grow. When the muscle is not stretched during contraction, this signal is weak and the muscle barely grows.

Causal chain

Knee extension during plantarflexion places the gastrocnemius at a longer muscle length, increasing passive tension and sarcomere strain

Supported by evidence

which leads to

Increased sarcomere strain activates mechanotransduction pathways including integrin, FAK, and mTOR signaling in muscle fibers

Indirect evidence only

which leads to

Lengthened contractions elevate metabolic stress through localized hypoxia and lactate accumulation, increasing cellular energy demand

Indirect evidence only

which leads to

Mechanical tension and metabolic stress together upregulate anabolic signaling and satellite cell activity, enhancing muscle protein synthesis

Indirect evidence only

which leads to

Net muscle protein synthesis exceeds breakdown, resulting in increased muscle volume specifically in the gastrocnemius

Verified by multiple studies

Evidence from Studies

Supporting (1)

Community contributions welcome

Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training

Randomized Controlled Trial

Human

2023

Contradicting (0)

Community contributions welcome

No contradicting evidence found

Gold Standard Evidence Needed

According to GRADE and EBM methodology, here is what ideal scientific evidence would look like to definitively prove or disprove this specific claim, ordered from strongest to weakest evidence.

Source Study

Triceps surae muscle hypertrophy is greater after standing versus seated calf-raise training

Score: 60

DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2023.1272106

Science Topic

Does seated calf raise training with knee flexed cause muscle growth in young adults?

Supported

Seated Calf Training

We analyzed one assertion on seated calf raises with the knee bent in young adults, and it suggests that this exercise leads to less than a 1.7% increase in gastrocnemius muscle size after 12 weeks of training [1]. The gastrocnemius is a calf muscle that crosses both the knee and ankle joints, and when the knee is bent during the movement, the muscle is held at a shorter length. This position may limit how much tension the muscle can generate during the exercise, which could explain the small size change observed. We did not find any studies that contradicted this finding. What we’ve found so far leans toward the idea that training this muscle in a shortened position — like with seated calf raises and bent knees — doesn’t lead to meaningful growth in untrained young adults. This doesn’t mean the exercise is useless, but it may not be the most effective way to build calf muscle size. For someone looking to grow their calves, other movements that allow the muscle to stretch and contract through a fuller range — like standing calf raises — might be more helpful, though we haven’t reviewed those comparisons here.

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Similar Assertions

In untrained young adults, performing standing calf raises with the knee straight leads to significantly greater muscle growth in the calf muscles compared to seated calf raises with the knee bent, because the muscles are stretched further during the movement.

94%

Doing seated calf raises while keeping your knees bent (short muscle length) twice a week for three months won't really build up your calf muscles. Research indicates this specific method only leads to tiny, unnoticeable muscle growth.

89%

Doing calf raises with your knees bent for 12 weeks doesn't seem to build much calf muscle, even if you train just as hard as you would for other muscles. This suggests that working your calves while they're shortened might not be the best way to make them grow.

88%

Working your muscles while they are fully stretched builds more muscle than working them while they are shortened. This stretching advantage is especially noticeable in muscles that cross two joints, like the back of your lower leg, but doesn't seem to matter for muscles that only cross one joint.

86%

In untrained young adults, 12 weeks of standing or seated calf raises produce the same 2–3% increase in soleus muscle size, showing that whether the muscle is stretched or shortened during training does not change the amount of growth.

84%