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The human body relies on several vital organs—such as the heart, brain, liver, and lungs—to sustain life and ensure longevity. Yet, experts suggest that a less obvious player may hold significant clues to living a long life: the calf muscle.
Often overlooked except perhaps on leg day at the gym, the calf muscle could be pivotal in understanding longevity. Situated at the back of the lower leg, it extends from just below the knee to above the heel. This muscle plays a crucial role in supporting mobility and stability, assisting in activities like walking and running by facilitating toe pointing and body propulsion.
Intriguing new findings indicate that neglecting to engage this muscle might elevate the risk of cardiovascular issues, such as blood clots.
As the heart circulates oxygen-rich blood throughout the body, including the legs, returning blood back up to the heart demands more than just a single heartbeat—it requires additional assistance.
When the heart pumps, it sends oxygen-rich blood to every part of the body, including the legs. However, sending blood up the body back to the heart takes more effort than a single pump, therefore it needs a boost.
Moving the calves compresses deep veins, which sends blood back up against gravity toward the heart. This is crucial for preventing blood clots and keeping the heart from becoming strained.
Additionally, the size of the calves serves more than for just aesthetic purposes. Having a more muscular calf is seen is a strong indicator of physical performance and means of preventing muscle decline, also known as sarcopenia.
Affecting 10 to 16 percent of the elderly worldwide, sarcopenia has been associated with a significantly higher risk of death, with some studies estimating over 300 percent added risk.
The calf muscle acts as the body’s ‘second heart’ and prevents blood clots, while the size of it may be able to predict lifespan, experts believe (stock image)
The key to caring for the second heart is similar to that of caring for your actual heart – movement.
The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week, along with muscle-strengthening workouts at least twice per week.
Running, walking, jumping rope and doing seated or standing calf raises can help strengthen the calves and promote regular movement.
While moving the calf muscle causes one-way valves inside the leg veins to open and push blood up to the heart, relaxing it closes that valve and prevents the heart from getting that blood.
Sitting or standing still for long periods of time then causes pressure to build up in those veins, damaging valves over time and causing blood to pool in the legs.
That sluggish blood allows blood cells to stick together, forming clots in the deep veins, leading to deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Striking up to 900,000 Americans every year, DVT can result in blood clots in the veins breaking loose and traveling through the bloodstream to the lungs, blocking blood flow.
Blood clots in the lungs, known as pulmonary embolism, can lead to permanent organ damage, and about one in three of people with an undiagnosed and untreated pulmonary embolism die.
The CDC estimates 100,000 to 200,000 Americans die of a pulmonary embolism each year.
As for the size of the calf muscle, a recent study of 63,000 adults found that for each 1cm (0.4 inches) increase in calf circumference, the risk of death was reduced by five percent.
Running, walking and standing or sitting calf raises can promote movement and strengthening of the calf muscles (stock image)
In another study, led by researchers at the Catholic University of Sacred Heart in Italy, scientists discovered that calf circumference was directly linked to strength elsewhere in the body.
They evaluated the relationship between calf circumference and frailty, physical performance, muscle strength, and functional status in people 80 and older. The team found physical performance and muscle strength ‘significantly improved’ as the calf circumference increased.
They also measured the frailty of participants by grading them based on their walking speed, strength, weight, energy levels and levels of exhaustion. When the frailty grades were matched with calf circumference, they found the ‘frailty index score was significantly lower among subjects with higher calf circumference.’
The experts concluded that their findings support the notion that calf circumference can be an indicator of muscle mass, and potentially strength and overall fitness.
In addition to exercise to strengthen the calf muscle, compression socks can help prevent circulation issues in the legs linked to DVT and pulmonary embolism.