October 23, 2024, 12:00 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
According to a study conducted by the University of Houston in 2022, a muscle that accounts for just one percent of body weight can boost the metabolism enormously and protect against common diseases such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, and obesity – even when sitting down. Its secret: instead of glycogen, it uses blood sugar and fats as fuel. How do you activate it?
The remarkable soleus muscle, situated in the calf, may be relatively small, yet it has the potential to accomplish significant health benefits. Properly trained or activated, the soleus muscle is able to boost the metabolism and thus ward off type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, and even obesity. Marc Hamilton, Professor of Health and Human Performance at the University of Houston, refers to his discovery as a significant medical breakthrough.
Overview
What makes the soleus muscle so unique
There are around 600 muscles in the human body. When these are stressed, the body breaks down glycogen. This is normally the predominant type of carbohydrate involved in muscle training. The soleus muscle, which runs from just below the knee to the heel, miraculously behaves differently. Instead of breaking down glycogen, the soleus muscle uses blood sugar and fats as fuel. It, therefore, has the ability to maintain an increased oxidative metabolism, which in turn boosts fat burning. “We never dreamed that this muscle would have this kind of capacity. It’s been in our bodies all along, but until now, no one has studied how we can use it to optimize our health,” Hamilton said in a university statement..1 “When properly activated, the soleus muscle can keep local oxidative metabolism at high levels for hours.”
How to activate the “miracle muscle”
Building on years of research, Hamilton and his team developed the soleus push-up, which activates the soleus muscle differently than standing or walking.
Performing the soleus push-up
- Sit up straight with both feet flat on the floor
- Raise your heel as high as possible while keeping your toes and balls of your feet touching the floor
- Lower your heel and repeat
Essentially, the soleus push-up resembles a deliberate and controlled version of a bouncing motion. “While it may appear straightforward, the soleus push-up involves more complexity than is immediately apparent. It’s a very specific movement to optimize the health benefits,” Hamilton explains.
Faster metabolism and better fat burning thanks to Soleus training
Marc Hamilton uncovered another interesting detail: When walking, the body is designed to minimize the amount of energy consumed by the soleus..2 Targeted training does the exact opposite: it makes the soleus use as much energy as possible over a long period of time.
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Researcher: “Discovery could be the solution to a variety of health problems
Hamilton describes his research as the most significant study to date at the Metabolic Innovations Laboratory at the University of Houston. “The discovery has the potential to address numerous health issues associated with extended periods of inactivity,” the researcher emphasizes.
The resulting low metabolic rate has far-reaching consequences. Numerous studies show that too little exercise can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes, or dementia. “Although the soleus constitutes merely one percent of body weight, it has the capacity to sustain metabolic activation over the long term.” Hamilton believes that this potential should definitely be exploited.