The gluteus maximus is the largest muscle in the human body by volume and the primary driver of hip extension during any high-force activity, from climbing stairs to sprinting, jumping, and deadlifting. Despite being the dominant hip extensor during powerful tasks, it is relatively quiet during relaxed level walking, where the hamstrings and adductors share more of the load. It attaches largely through the iliotibial band rather than directly to bone, giving it indirect influence over knee stability.
| Origin | Posterior gluteal line of the ilium and the iliac crest; Posterior surface of the sacrum and coccyx; Sacrotuberous ligament |
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| Insertion | Iliotibial band of the fascia lata (upper three-quarters of the muscle); Gluteal tuberosity of the femur (lower quarter) |
| Nerve Supply | Inferior gluteal nerve (L5, S1, S2) |
| Blood Supply | Superior and inferior gluteal arteries |
| Actions | Powerful extension of the hip, the primary action; External rotation of the femur; Upper fibres: abduction of the hip; Lower fibres: adduction of the hip; Extension and stabilisation of the knee via the iliotibial band |
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At full hip extension and during deceleration activities such as landing from a jump, the gluteus maximus becomes the single most important muscle for absorbing load and protecting the lumbar spine, a fact that makes its activation patterns central to both athletic performance and injury prevention.
Gluteus maximus inhibition, sometimes called 'gluteal amnesia', is a pervasive finding in people with low back pain, hip pain, and patellofemoral syndrome, because the hamstrings and lumbar erectors compensate when the gluteus underperforms during hip extension. Assessing gluteal recruitment during prone hip extension is a routine clinical test; a pattern of hamstring-first or erector-first firing indicates poor gluteal timing. The inferior gluteal nerve can be compressed in the infrapiriform foramen, causing gluteal weakness that mimics an L5–S1 radiculopathy.
The gluteus maximus is easily palpable across the entire buttock with the subject prone performing a hip extension, it contracts firmly under the hand. The muscle's lower border forms the gluteal fold, and its lateral edge can be felt at the iliotibial band as it transitions toward the thigh.
Muscle fibre tears within the gluteus maximus belly from explosive hip extension, sprinting, heavy lifting, or sudden acceleration, producing deep buttock pain that worsens with resisted extension and prolonged sitting.
Inflammation of the bursa between the ischial tuberosity and the lower gluteus maximus, producing deep buttock pain that is characteristically aggravated by sitting on hard surfaces and can mimic proximal hamstring tendinopathy.
Compression of the inferior gluteal nerve in the subgluteal space produces progressive gluteal weakness and atrophy without the typical radicular pain pattern, often confused with an L5–S1 disc problem until electrophysiological testing reveals the peripheral nerve source.
