It is a muscle little known to people in general, but of great relevance. And not only because it is essential to be able to stand and walk. What is the importance of the soleus muscle?
The soleus is located in the lower part of the calf. It has two important veins inside that play a key role in blood circulation.
On the calves
For this reason, many have defined it as a “second heart.” It is explained by Dr. Carles Pedret, a specialist at the School of Sports Medicine at the University of Barcelona. “It is composed mainly of what is pure muscle tissue and not as much connective tissue as in other muscles.”
The soleus has a very particular function. It helps the heart in its job of pumping blood around the body. «Inside your calves, there are large veins that are inside your soleus. Gravity causes blood to pool in your calves and ankles and feet. The veins within the soleus are compressed when the muscle contracts. They fill and empty and send that fluid back to the heart. With every step you take you are pushing the blood that is in your legs back to the heart. This system includes several veins of the foot and gastrocnemius muscles. It is known as the popliteal pump.
Work the muscle
Like all muscles in the body, the soleus needs work to stay healthy. The ideal job is walking: «A sedentary lifestyle is very bad for you. But overexposure to force work also affects it.”
The importance of the soleus muscle stands out on several levels. Constantly working the muscles offers a large number of benefits for the correct maintenance of the body. Maintaining good muscle activity and good muscle tone makes the entire metabolic system work better. Lowers the risk of diseases. The brain also works better. Therefore, there is also less risk of dementia, that is, the quality of mental health improves.
