Acute Molecular and Chronic Vastus Lateralis Adaptations to Lengthened Partial versus Full Range of Motion Resistance Training in Trained Men.
Plotkin DL, Tiede DR, Gotla T, Kelly J, Rollin M, Queneau J et al. · Medicine and science in sports and exercise · 2026
Purpose: This study examined how lower-body lengthened partial (LP) versus full range of motion (FULL) resistance training affects acute post-exercise signaling, chronic hypertrophy, and cellular adaptations of the vastus lateralis (VL) muscle in resistance-trained men.
Methods: Eight males (22±1 years old, 5.6±1.4 years training) completed a crossover study whereby VL biopsies were collected pre-exercise and 0, 3, and 24 hours following LP and FULL leg extension bouts for transcriptomic and anabolic signaling analyses (Experiment 1). Another 16 males (26±5 years old; 8.0±4.9 years training) completed an 8-week, twice-weekly lower-body intervention using a within-subject
Design: (Experiment 2). One leg was assigned to FULL and the contralateral leg to LP training across three exercises (leg press, leg extension, and lying leg curl). Pre- and post-intervention outcomes included VL muscle cross-sectional area (mCSA) summed across five MRI-derived slices and mid-thigh VL biopsy outcomes.
Results: In Experiment 1, time-dependent changes in the VL transcriptome and anabolic (mTORC1 and Hippo) signaling occurred, but minimal between-protocol interactions existed. In Experiment 2, VL mCSA increased over time (mean change: 9.3cm², 95% CI [6.8, 11.8], P
Conclusions: This exploratory study suggests that 8 weeks of LP and FULL resistance training elicit similar acute and chronic VL responses in previously trained men.