Bigger Calves from Doing Higher Resistance Training
                    Volume?

Witalo Kassiano; Bruna Daniella de Vasconcelos Costa; Gabriel Kunevaliki; Felipe Lisboa; Ian Tricoli; Jarlisson Francsuel; Luis Lima; Natã Stavinski; Edilson S. Cyrino

doi:10.1055/a-2316-7885

International Journal of Sports Medicine, Table of Contents

Int J Sports Med 2024; 45(10): 739-747
DOI: 10.1055/a-2316-7885

Training & Testing

Bigger Calves from Doing Higher Resistance Training Volume?

Authors

Witalo Kassiano

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Bruna Daniella de Vasconcelos Costa

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Gabriel Kunevaliki

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Felipe Lisboa

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Ian Tricoli

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Jarlisson Francsuel

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Luis Lima

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Natã Stavinski

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil
Edilson S. Cyrino

¹Metabolism, Nutrition and Exercise Laboratory, Centre of Physical Education and Sport, State University of Londrina, Brazil

Abstract

We compared the effects of different weekly calf training sets on muscle size changes. Sixty-one untrained young women performed a calf training program for 6 weeks, 3 d·wk^–1, with differences in resistance training volume. The participants were randomly assigned to one of the three groups: 6-SET, 9-SET, and 12-SET weekly calf training sets. The calf raise exercise was performed in sets of 15–20 repetitions maximum. The muscle thickness measurements of medial gastrocnemius (MG), lateral gastrocnemius (LG), and soleus (SOL) were taken via B-mode ultrasound. We used the sum of the three-muscle thickness as a proxy for the triceps surae (TS_SUM). The 12-SET group elicited greater increases than the 6-SET in LG (6-SET=+ 8.1% vs. 12-SET=+ 14.3%; P=0.017), SOL (6-SET=+ 6.7% vs. 12-SET=+ 12.7%; P=0.024), and TS_SUM (6-SET=+ 6.9% vs. 12-SET=+ 12.0%; P=0.005), but there was no significant difference in MG changes (6-SET=+ 6.6% vs. 12-SET=+ 9.9%; P=0.067). There were no significant differences when comparing 9-SET vs. 6-SET and 12-SET (P≥0.099). Although all groups experienced calf muscle hypertrophy, our results suggest that the higher dose range may optimize triceps surae muscle size gains.

Keywords

strength training - dose-response relationship - muscle growth - gastrocnemius - soleus

Full Text

References

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