Do the anatomical and physiological properties of a muscle determine its adaptive response to different loading protocols?
Open accessAbstract
It has been proposed that superior muscle hypertrophy may be obtained by training muscles predominant in type I fibers with lighter loads and those predominant in type II fibers with heavier loads. PURPOSE: To evaluate longitudinal changes in muscle strength and hypertrophy of the soleus (a predominantly slow-twitch muscle) and gastrocnemius (muscle with a similar composition of slow and fast-twitch fibers) when subjected to light (20-30 repetition maximum) and heavy (6-10 repetition maximum) load plantarflexion exercise. METHODS: The study employed a within-subject design whereby 26 untrained young men had their lower limbs randomized to perform plantarflexion with a low-load (LIGHT) and a high-load (HEAVY) for 8 weeks. Muscle thickness was estimated via B-mode ultrasound and maximal strength was determined by isometric dynamometry. RESULTS: Results showed that changes in muscle thickness were similar for the soleus and the gastrocnemius regardless of the magnitude of load used in training. Furthermore, each of the calf muscles demonstrated robust hypertrophy, with the lateral gastrocnemius showing greater gains compared to the medial gastrocnemius and soleus. Both HEAVY and LIGHT training programs elicited similar hypertrophic increases in the triceps surae. Finally, isometric strength increases were similar between loading conditions. CONCLUSIONS: The triceps surae muscles respond robustly to regimented exercise and measures of muscle hypertrophy and isometric strength appear independent of muscle fiber type composition. Moreover, the study provides further evidence that low-load training is a viable strategy to increase hypertrophy in different human muscles, with hypertrophic increases similar to that observed using heavy loads.
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Recent research has established that both low-load and high-load resistance training may produce similar muscle hypertrophy at the whole muscle level when the training is performed to momentary muscular failure.
“However, recent research has established that both low-load and high-load resistance training may produce similar muscle hypertrophy at the whole muscle level when the training is performed to momentary muscular failure (Schoenfeld et al., 2017; Schoenfeld et al., 2020).”
From The effects of low-load vs. high-load resistance training on muscle fiber hypertrophy: a meta-analysis. (2020) · cites this paper as Schoenfeld et al., 2020
Our recent original study further supports the finding of no significant heavy-load advantage when testing on an isometric device.
“our recent original study on the topic further supports this finding [26].”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [26]
The advantage of heavy load training on strength-related measures dissipates when testing is carried out on a modality different than that used in the study training program.
“Indeed, the advantage of heavy load training on strength-related measures dissipates when testing is carried out on a modality different than that used in the study training program.”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [26]
A recent study compared the effects of loading on the soleus and gastrocnemius; after 8 weeks, significant increases in muscle thickness were observed for both the soleus and gastrocnemius, and the amount of load did not influence the magnitude of gains.
“After 8 weeks, significant increases in muscle thickness were observed for both the soleus and gastrocnemius; the amount of load did not influence the magnitude of gains.”
From Loading recommendations for muscle strength, hypertrophy, and local endurance: a re-examination of the repetition continuum. (2021) · cites this paper as [26]
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Cites
Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Ogborn, D., & Krieger, J. W. (2017) · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000002200 · Cited by 851 · see citing works
Self-citationSchoenfeld, B. J., Peterson, M. D., Ogborn, D., Contreras, B., & Sonmez, G. T. (2015) · Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research · doi:10.1519/jsc.0000000000000958 · Cited by 418 · cited 1× · see citing works
“…on the following assumptions, which are consistent with baseline measures, effects, and relationships observed in the literature (Chow et al., 2000; Schoenfeld, Peterson, Ogborn, Contreras, & Sonmez, 2015) and what we considered to be practically meaningful: (a) soleus would hypertrophy 10 ± 10%…”
ResultSelf-citationMorton, R. W., Oikawa, S. Y., Wavell, C. G., Mazara, N., McGlory, C., Quadrilatero, J., Baechler, B. L., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2016) · Journal of Applied Physiology · doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00154.2016 · Cited by 404 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…muscles has produced conflicting re-sults on the topic, with some studies showing differential fiber-type specific hypertrophic effects between loading conditions (Netreba et al., 2013; Vinogradova et al., 2013) and others showing negligible differences (Lim et al., 2019; Morton et al., 2016).”
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Cited by
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Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021) · Sports · doi:10.3390/sports9020032 · Cited by 334 · see citing works
Self-citationA systematic review of the effects of different resistance training volumes on muscle hypertrophy.
Baz-Valle, E., Balsalobre-Fernández, C., Alix-Fages, C., & Santos-Concejero, J. (2022) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.2478/hukin-2022-0017 · Cited by 83 · see citing works
Refalo, M. C., Hamilton, D. L., Paval, D. R., Gallagher, I. J., Feros, S. A., & Fyfe, J. J. (2021) · Journal of Sports Sciences · doi:10.1080/02640414.2021.1898094 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
Grgic, J. (2020) · Journal of Human Kinetics · doi:10.2478/hukin-2020-0013 · Cited by 45 · see citing works
- Authors
- Schoenfeld, B. J., Vigotsky, A. D., Grgic, J., Haun, C., Contreras, B., Delcastillo, K., Francis, A., Cote, G., & Alto, A.
- Affiliations
- Lehman College (US)
- Northwestern University (US)
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES) Victoria University Melbourne VIC Australia
- LaGrange College (US)
- Auckland University of Technology (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- Schoenfeld, Brad J.
- Venue
- Physiological Reports
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2020-04-27
- Volume
- 8
- Issue
- 9
- Pages
- e14427-e14427
- ISSN
- 2051-817X (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC7186566
- OpenAlex
- W3019935785
- Cited by
- 56
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 15 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 15 · 2021: 7 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 1
- FWCI
- 7.38
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Physiological Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Victoria University Research Repository (Victoria University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- CUNY Academic Works (City University of New York) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Funders
- Dymatize Nutrition
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Muscle Physiology and Disorders
- Keywords
- muscle hypertrophy, muscle strength, soleus muscle, gastrocnemius, triceps surae, low-load training, high-load training, muscle fiber composition, slow-twitch muscle, isometric strength, muscle thickness, resistance training
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Physiological, Adult, Humans, Hypertrophy, Male, Exercise, Muscle, Skeletal, Muscle Fibers, Skeletal, Muscle Fibers, Slow-Twitch, Muscle Strength, Young Adult
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