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Gastrocnemius/Soleus

✅Single leg heel rise test is often used in clinical practice to check the strength and endurance of the gastrocnemius muscle group!

🤔How many should you be achieving? Age & gender differences are seen between testing in healthy injury free individuals. Highest score was 20-30 years of age male 37 reps & Females 30 reps (Hèbert-Losier et al. 2017).

No equipment need just you and ⬇️
✅Shoes on
✅Finger tips on wall
✅Test used a 60 BPM metronome

🙌What’s your top score🙌

✅Single leg heel rise test is often used in clinical practice to check the strength and endurance of the gastrocnemius muscle group!

🤔How many should you be achieving? Age & gender differences are seen between testing in healthy injury free individuals

Male Female
Age: Reps Reps
20 -30 37 30
30 - 40 33 28
40 - 50 28 25
50-60 24 22
60-70 19 19
70-80 15 17
80+ 10 14

(Hèbert-Losier et al. 2017).

No equipment needed just you and ⬇️
✅Shoes on
✅Finger tips on wall
✅Test used a 60 BPM metronome

🙌What’s your top score🙌

🤓Australian football league between 1994-2014 were analysed for major muscle strain

🤕3647 muscle strain injuries occurred
-Hamstring 1932, Groin 839, Calf 458 Quadriceps 418

🤓The recurrence rate was highest during the first match back, this would suggest an ease of return to play may be warranted (Orchard et al. 2020)

🤕Injury risks, previous injury to the same or another muscle group
Age > 24 years of age was an independent risk factor for calf strains

🏃‍♂️Having returned to play, take precautions, maybe play fewer match minutes, gradually increase over few weeks. Prior to full return to play.

Calf strain!

🤕Although least reported on, calf injuries amount for the 4th highest muscle injury in professional soccer players (Hagglund et al. 2013).

💪Calf complex comprises of the soleus, gastrocnemius, plantaris, deep flexor muscles and Achilles’ tendon.

⚠️Risk factors are previous injury to the calf muscle or another muscle and age (>24 years of age) (Orchard et al 2020).

⏱Time lost to sport can vary from 11-35 days depending on the strain location (Green et al. 2020)

🏋️‍♀️After injury it is important to start loading the calf muscle as soon as the pain is tolerable.
🔑 manageable pain is safe 4/10 while starting your rehab.
These are a series of exercises that can be used for calf strain injuries

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