Calf Circumference and Cardiovascular Risk
The calf circumference is an anthropometric measure used, similar to the circumference of the arm, to evaluate the muscle mass of the subject. In some studies it was also used to assess the health of the examined; for example, in Spain, a study conducted on 22,000 people over the age of 65 found a significant correlation between reduced calf circumference and high risk of malnutrition; in France, a study conducted on 6,265 people, also over the age of 65, found an inverse correlation between calf circumference and carotid plaques. In practice, the increase in calf circumference would decrease the risk of developing atherosclerosis and its complications, especially if this characteristic is associated with a reduced waist circumference (WHR, high waist-to-hip ratio); vice versa, subjects with high WHR and small calves are more exposed to atherosclerotic diseases (this suggests the importance of evaluating not only fat mass and its distribution as a negative factor on the general health of the individual, but also muscle mass as a factor positive).
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- Cuervo M, Ansorena D, García A, González Martínez MA, Astiasarán I, Martínez JA. "[Assessment of calf circumference as an indicator of the risk for hyponutrition in the elderly]" (in Spanish; Castilian). Nutrición Hospitalaria: Organ Oficial De La Sociedad Española De Nutrición Parenteral Y Enteral 24 : 63 - 7.
- Debette S, Leone N, Courbon D, Gariépy J, Tzourio C, Dartigues JF, Ritchie K, Alpérovitch A, Ducimetière P, Amouyel P, Zureik M (November 2008). "Calf circumference is inversely associated with carotid plaques". Stroke; a Journal of Cerebral Circulation 39 : 2958 - 65.
Measurement technique
The examined subject is in a supine position, then lying on his stomach, with the knee bent at a right angle. The circumference is then measured at the point of greatest diameter of the calf.
Another "measurement technique requires that the subject is in a sitting position with the leg hanging freely; also in this case the measurement is taken at the level of the maximum circumference of the calf.
Reduce the calf circumference
Reducing the calf circumference seems to be the dream of many women, worried that an "excessive muscle mass in that area is unaesthetic and not very feminine. Beyond purely personal considerations, the muscle development of the calf depends on genetic and behavioral factors. We know , for example, that black people tend to have "short" and underdeveloped calves, while in short white the muscle is generally well developed in length and more conspicuous.
The only way to decrease the calf circumference, within the limits of genetics, would be to subject the body to a strong weight loss, in order to force it to catabolize the muscular masses to obtain energy. However, this is an absolutely inadvisable technique, both due to the negative repercussions on the metabolism and general health of the person (see what is explained at the beginning of the article), and because - essentially being a postural muscle, rich in red fibers (we are talking about the soleus, which gives the muscle "width") - there is a risk that this circumference will be one of the last to decrease. Before it, in fact, generally the circumferences of the thighs and buttocks tend to shrink considerably, which consequently would appear flat and poorly toned, with a negative final balance on the aesthetic level.
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