Logan Steele
The soleus muscle is a flat, broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius in the calf. It is responsible for some of the greatest force production in the human body during running and is often called a second heart due to its ability to pump blood into the lower leg. While it may not be as prominent as the gastrocnemius, the soleus is a powerful muscle that can improve metabolic health and reduce the risk of age-associated chronic diseases if activated correctly. To stimulate the soleus muscle, exercises such as calf raises and the soleus pushup (SPU) can be performed. SPU targets the soleus to increase oxygen consumption and elevate muscle metabolism, even while sitting.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius. |
| Function | The soleus is responsible for plantar flexion, or pointing the foot down, and plays a role in standing, walking, and running. It also helps with balance and posture. |
| Composition | The soleus is composed mainly of type 1 slow-twitch muscle fibers, which provide endurance rather than quick bursts of energy. |
| Clinical Significance | The soleus is important in the management of Achilles tendinopathy and can impact metabolic health. Weakness or overuse of the soleus can lead to pain in the lower leg or foot and increase the risk of Achilles tendonitis. |
| Exercises | Calf raises, soleus pushups (SPU), and the knee-to-wall test are recommended to strengthen the soleus muscle. |
| Peripheral Magnetic Stimulation (rPMS) | rPMS has been found to promote extreme muscle contraction and improve arm function in stroke patients. |
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What You'll Learn
Soleus muscle stimulation through soleus pushups
The soleus muscle is a flat, broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius, starting right below the knee joint and running down to the heel. It is an accessory muscle that supports your skeleton and helps you maintain your balance and posture.
While the soleus muscle is not clinically extremely pertinent, it still plays an important role in standing, walking, and running and should not be neglected, especially in managing Achilles tendinopathy.
To strengthen the soleus muscle, one can try calf raises or soleus pushups. The latter is a form of exercise pioneered by Marc Hamilton, a professor of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston, which effectively stimulates the soleus muscle and increases muscle metabolism, even while sitting.
To perform a soleus pushup, or SPU, one should be seated with their feet flat on the floor and muscles relaxed. The heel is then raised while the front of the foot stays on the ground. When the heel reaches the top of its range of motion, the foot is passively lowered back down. This movement targets the soleus muscle to increase oxygen consumption and is resistant to fatigue. It is designed to be the opposite of walking, which minimizes the amount of energy used due to the way the soleus moves.
The soleus pushup is an effective way to improve metabolic health and regulate blood glucose, even outperforming other popular methods such as exercise, weight loss, and intermittent fasting. It can also help to reduce 'bad cholesterol' and prevent muscle metabolism during long periods of inactivity.
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Calf raises to strengthen the soleus
The soleus is a flat, broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius in the calf. It is important for standing, walking, and running, and its fatigue resistance helps maintain a clean, upright standing posture.
Calf raises are a classic and effective way to strengthen the soleus muscle. They can be done anywhere and don't take up much time. To perform a basic calf raise, stand with your feet hip-width apart near a wall for balance. Ensure your ankles, knees, and hips are aligned to protect your joints. Press down into the balls of your feet to raise your body upward, keeping your abdominal muscles pulled in to prevent leaning forward or backward.
To increase the intensity, perform the exercise on one leg, adding weight by holding a dumbbell or other weight in one hand. You can also start by standing on a stair or step, allowing your heels to drop lower than your toes. Keeping the balls of your feet on the stair, lower your heels toward the floor and then press up as high as you can on your toes.
For a more targeted approach to strengthening the soleus, try a bent-knee calf raise. This exercise involves keeping your knees bent while pushing off the ground with your toes, similar to a standard calf raise. The bent knee removes tension from the calves, directly placing it on the soleus muscle. You can also perform seated bent-knee calf raises, sitting on a chair with knees bent at a 90-degree angle and in line with your heels. Lift your heels and then slowly lower them back down. To increase the difficulty, add weight to your knees or lap.
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Peripheral magnetic stimulation of the soleus muscle
The study in question involved twelve healthy adults with a mean age of 22 years who provided informed consent. They were administered repetitive peripheral magnetic stimulation (rPMS) for 10 minutes, and the pre-and post-stimulation latencies and amplitudes of H- and M-waves of the soleus muscle were measured using electromyography.
The results of the study indicated that pre-stimulation latencies of M-waves were significantly higher than post-stimulation latencies, suggesting increased motor neuron excitability. rPMS likely acted on the muscle fibers, particularly those responsible for generating maximal M waves. Additionally, rPMS may have modified the integrity of neuromuscular propagation.
Peripheral magnetic stimulation, such as rPMS, has advantages over electrical muscle stimulation as it offers a greater depth of penetration and does not involve current flowing through the skin. This form of stimulation can evoke muscle contraction and has been found to improve arm function in stroke patients when combined with occupational therapy.
Furthermore, the combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electrical stimulation of peripheral nerves has been used to study the soleus muscle. This combination allows for the investigation of central conduction time between the cortex and spinal motoneurone, as well as the determination of orthodromic compound muscle action potential (CMAP) and antidromic late response (F-wave).
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Stretching the soleus to improve range of motion
Stretching the soleus muscle is important for improving your range of motion, particularly in the ankle. The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius, starting right below the knee joint and running to the heel. It is responsible for plantar flexion, or pointing the toes down, and plays a role in standing, walking, and running.
One simple stretch that targets the soleus muscle involves standing tall and taking a half step forward. Keep your weight evenly distributed on both feet and your heels on the ground, then slowly bend your knees and sink down towards the ground. You should feel the stretch in the back leg, just above the heel. To deepen the stretch, continue to sink down slowly with your hips and hold this position for about 30 seconds before switching sides.
Another way to stretch the soleus is to use a wall, railing, or chair for support. Stand about arm's length from the wall, lean forward, and place your hands on the wall about shoulder-width apart. This stretch can also be done with one leg to increase the intensity and target the soleus muscle even more.
Additionally, you can try using a foam roller to perform self-massage and myofascial release. Sit on the floor with your legs extended in front of you and position the roller under your calves. Using your hands for support, slowly roll from the knee down to the ankle, pausing on any tight or sore spots.
By regularly stretching the soleus muscle, you can improve your flexibility, balance, and range of motion, making everyday movements like walking, climbing stairs, and physical activities easier and more comfortable.
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The role of the soleus in powerful running
The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius. It is one of the 600 muscles in the human body and is a posterior leg muscle that runs from just below the knee to the heel. The soleus is often under-appreciated and overlooked, but it is an important muscle for powerful running.
The soleus is responsible for creating plantar flexion, or pointing the foot downward. This action is particularly important for standing, walking, and running. The soleus helps to maintain a clean, upright standing posture and plays a role in injury prevention for runners. It is also involved in producing propulsive force during endurance running.
The soleus is made up of mostly Type 1 (slow-twitch) muscle fibres, which help provide endurance rather than a burst of energy. Slow-twitch fibres are required for endurance activities, making the soleus a key muscle for anyone running mid to long distances. The soleus is considered to be responsible for more force production than the gastrocnemius, which is made up of mostly fast-twitch fibres.
Research has shown that the soleus muscle provides the greatest upward mass centre acceleration at all running speeds and contributes significantly to forward mass centre acceleration. It takes a large amount of the load during running, much more than the gastrocnemius. In a 2012 Australian study, it was found that the soleus produced vertical forces of about eight times the body weight of runners, while the gastrocnemius produced only about three times their body weight.
To strengthen the soleus muscle, there are a few exercises that can be done. One is the soleus pushup (SPU), which targets the soleus to increase oxygen consumption and elevate muscle metabolism. Another exercise is a variation of a calf raise, which can be done anywhere and does not take a lot of time. To do this exercise, stand near a wall for balance and place your feet hip-width apart, making sure your ankles, knees, and hips are aligned. Press down into the balls of both feet to raise your body upward, and then lower your heels back down. This exercise can also be done on one leg to increase the intensity.
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Frequently asked questions
The soleus is a flat and broad muscle that sits just underneath the gastrocnemius. It is one of 600 muscles in the human body and is a posterior leg muscle that runs from just below the knee to the heel.
The soleus is often called a "second heart" because of its ability to pump blood into the lower leg. It is also important in standing, walking, and running. If the soleus is tight or weak, it can inhibit the flow of blood to the foot and ankle.
If you feel sore in your calves and/or shins after a big workout, that could be a sign that your soleus is weak. Tightness in your calves or a reduced range of motion in your ankles can also indicate a weak soleus.
There are a few exercises that can help stimulate the soleus muscle, including calf raises and the soleus pushup (SPU). Calf raises are a classic calf-strengthening exercise that uses your body weight to strengthen and tone the soleus muscle. The SPU is a type of seated exercise that targets the soleus to increase oxygen consumption and elevate muscle metabolism.
