Gastrocnemius - Not a Supervillan but Your Face-plant Saviour
This week we will look at the gastrocnemius muscle. This is first one of the three of your calf muscles we will look at (yes, there are three…in each calf).
The most important two are, the gastrocnemius (sounds like an awesome supervillain) and the soleus (which sounds like a superhero). But unlike the characters of a superhero comic book, they work together to do a really important job
They stop you falling on your face!
The interesting thing about the gastrocnemius is it actually crosses two joints (the knee AND the ankle) whereas a lot of other muscles only cross one.[i] This can make it more prone to injuries.
What causes tight calves?
Tight calves are often caused through overuse. As we discussed, they work really hard to stop us from falling on our faces and they do this nearly all day. However, when you add running, jumping and spots into the mix, this can lead to overuse of the calf.[ii]
Interestingly, calf tightness can also be caused by a lack of activity.
We sit all day and our knees and ankles stay in the same position and our calves stay in a shortened position. The muscle adapts to this shortened position and tightness can result.[iii]
What happens if I have tight gastrocnemius muscles?
While tight calves can pain in themselves, they can also cause other issues.
The shortened muscle fibres can end up pulling on the ligaments and affect the joints around them leading to Achilles tendonitis, shin splits, knee pain (patella-femoral pain and patella tendinopathy), plantar fasciitis, groin pain and back pain.[iv][v]
So I have tight gastrocnemius muscles, what can I do about it?
So now we know how important these hard working muscles are, how do we keep them happy and stop them getting tight.
Firstly, if you are suffering calf pain, there are several medical causes, so please consult your health professional for advice.
Additionally, here are some things you can do to help prevent tight calves. Specifically, we will look at the gastrocnemius. As it crosses the knee, this often involves straight legs to concentrate on this specific part of the calf.
Mobility
Walking the Dog
Start from downward dog.
Raise the heel of one leg and lower the heel of the other and then switch sides. Do this about 10-15 times.
https://youtu.be/0JrwcBYa0kk
Self-Myofascial Release / Self-Massage
Seated Roll
Place the foam roller under your calf and slowly roll back and forth.
Keep the leg straight to stretch the gastrocnemius in order to get deeper it.
If you want to add more weight you can lift your butt off the ground or place your other foot on top of the leg being rolled.
Point the toe inward (toward your centreline) and slowly rotate outward (toes away from your centreline) in order to get the entire muscle.
When you find a trigger point (and there may be many), you can stop on it and hold for about 30-45 seconds.
Repeat on both legs.
https://youtu.be/rpVMZziJeY8
Yoga
Downward Facing Dog
Start from table top.
Tuck your toes under.
Raise your but towards the ceiling so you make an upside down ‘V’.
https://youtu.be/0JrwcBYa0kk (includes walking the dog)
Table top-Calf Stretch
Start from table top.
Extend one leg so it is straight with the toes on the ground.
Push back with the hands.
Repeat on the other leg.
https://youtu.be/E4JICzRQz1o?t=140 (from 3:59)
Conclusion'
Our calves are probably the second hardest working muscle in our body after our hearts so it makes sense that they get tight. However, this tightness can cause pain in the foot, ankle, knee, hip and back. Our gastrocnemius, one of our calf muscles, cross both the knee and the ankle which leaves it vulnerable to injury. Here are some mobility exercises, self-massage techniques and yoga poses to help tight gastrocnemius muscles.
You can also get your FREE 2 week Recharge trial and we’ll go through these techniques with you.
The EVERYDAY can lead tight or weak gastrocnemius muscles.
Come to Recharge and Move BEYOND the EVERYDAY.
[i] Bryan Dixon J. (2009). Gastrocnemius vs. soleus strain: how to differentiate and deal with calf muscle injuries. Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine, 2(2), 74–77. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12178-009-9045-8
[ii] https://www.healthline.com/health/tight-calves#causes
[iii] https://www.self.com/gallery/essential-calf-stretches
[iv] https://leadingedgephysicaltherapy.com.au/tight-calves-running
[v] https://www.jointandbackpain.com/causes-of-pain/tight-calves-back-pain