Why Your Calves Are Sore After Running & 8 Ways to Stop the Pain

After a long run, you may expect to feel some soreness in your legs, but if that soreness is localized to your calves, it can damper your training. You might be worried about what it means for your health and performance, and even more, you might be nervous about facing an injury. Sore calves after running are not uncommon, and in many cases, they simply indicate that you need to allow some time for recovery before resuming your regular training schedule. This article will help you better understand why your calves are sore after running and how to promote recovery so you can get back to your running routine without any setbacks as well as best recovery tools for athletes.

One way to promote a quick recovery is to use Pliability’s mobility app. The app helps you warm up before runs, mobilize sore calves after running, and recover with routines designed to help you run pain-free to avoid injuries and keep improving your performance.

Why are My Calves Sore After Running?

Calf soreness after running is common and can affect new and experienced runners. The calf muscles play a key role in your running stride, contributing to different phases of your gait. Sore calves can arise from several causes, including:

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• Muscle fatigue
• Microtears
• Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS)

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Small changes in running form or terrain can lead to calf pain after a run. This soreness can also result from DOMS, which is caused by inflammation in response to micro-tears in the muscles while you run. If you’re an experienced runner who doesn’t experience DOMS much, your calf soreness might be a sign of poor form or injury.

What Causes Sore Calves in Runners?

Calf pain can range from slightly irritating to debilitating. Regardless of your tolerance, it’s crucial to understand why your calves are sore and what you can change to avoid it—the most significant muscle in the calf, the gastrocnemius, flexes to lift your heel off the ground. During push-off, this muscle provides power to lift your feet and body off the ground.

It’s also responsible for your knee bending and extending. The more minor calf muscle, the soleus, is essential in stabilizing the ankle joint. The calves also take on a lot of force on every step, as the impact of each step vibrates through the muscle.

Normal Age-Related Changes

Our bodies change as we age. Some people develop wrinkles on their skin or gray hair on their heads. Others lose flexibility and elasticity in their soft tissues, including calves. These changes are not necessarily bad and don’t always cause symptoms.

In some cases, the calves' loss of flexibility and elasticity can make strain and muscle soreness more likely. The good news is that these changes can often be mitigated with consistent, gentle movement as you age.

Overuse or Increased Training Intensity

According to a study published in PLoS One, running more than 40 miles per week is associated with a greater chance of injury, including calf pain.

But it’s important to know that increasing mileage too quickly is a much more decisive factor in calf pain than the mileage itself, says Dr. Melson. That’s why most sports medicine physicians and PTs recommend increasing mileage gradually.

Gradual Running Increases Prevent Injury

If you typically run two miles daily, don’t increase to five miles immediately — make more minor adjustments. “And if you’re brand new to running, less is really more,” adds Dr. Melson. Otherwise, you may notice pain behind your knee and calf. 

Consider starting with a walk/jog routine, where you walk for a minute and jog for a minute before tapering off on walking and increasing time spent running. But even if you haven’t pushed yourself hard, not giving your muscles enough time to rest between runs might lead to cramps or muscle soreness due to overtraining.

Improper Footwear

Wearing running shoes that don’t support your feet can cause sore calves. If your feet aren’t supported, your joints may move out of their normal range of motion placing strain on the muscles.

Wearing shoes with insufficient cushioning can worsen calf pain. When your shoes don’t properly absorb the impact, the vibrations from each step directly affect your muscles. This lack of cushioning can lead to sore calves immediately after your run and the next day.

Running on Hard Surfaces

Running on hard, unforgiving surfaces like asphalt and concrete can increase the impact on your feet and legs, causing calf pain. This is worse when paired with shoes that don’t offer enough cushioning.

Tight Muscles

Calf pain isn’t always caused by tightness in the calf muscle. Sometimes, tight quads, hamstrings, or even a tight Achilles can pull on the calf muscle and cause “referred pain.”

Lack of Foot or Ankle Strength

You’re probably familiar with the song Dem Bones. “The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone. The ankle bone's connected to the leg bone…” So what happens in one part of the body has the potential to affect another.

In running, weak foot or ankle muscles might affect your gait and put more pressure on your calves to compensate for stability, says Dr. Melson. This can be especially true if you’re running on a new, uneven surface, like trails or sand.

Poor Running Form

Running with incorrect form can place excess strain on the calf muscles, causing them to be stiff and sore after a run. Overstriding is one of the most significant forms of problems leading to calf pain.

Dehydration or Electrolyte Imbalance

Dehydration can cause muscle cramps, with the calves particularly prone to this issue. Often, it’s not just a shortage of water that leads to these cramps but an imbalance in electrolytes. 

Electrolyte imbalances can happen even if you aren’t dehydrated. You might replace lost fluids during a run, but you might be susceptible to cramping calves if you aren’t replacing lost electrolytes.

Muscle Strain or Injury

The calves bear significant body weight during each stride and are prone to strain. Sudden calf pain during exercise might indicate an injury rather than delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) or a typical cramp.

Inadequate Hip Function

Weak or inactive muscles can increase the strain on the calf muscles, which have to overcompensate for the muscles that lie dormant during a run.

Poor hip function is a prevalent cause of sore calves after running. The hips cannot assist in the running movement, placing excessive stress on the calves.

Lack of Warm-Up or Cool Down

Heading into a run without warming your muscles up properly can make them susceptible to injury as they might not easily move through their full range of motion. It can be easy to push them too far before you even realize it.

Cooling down allows your muscles time to flush out metabolic waste that can cause pain after a run. Skip it, and you may find yourself with worse DOMS due to lactic acid buildup!

Excessive Stress on the Calves

If none of these issues cause your calf soreness, it is worth assessing your running form and muscular strength on a deeper level. Muscle imbalances in areas besides the hips might be causing your body to overcompensate by placing more stress on your calves when running.

Slight variations in running form, such as hunching forward, heel striking, or forefoot striking, might cause calf pain.

Bottomline: While there is no singular cause for running calf soreness, these common issues provide a helpful starting point when hoping to address the root of your pain. Once you’ve discovered the cause of your pain, you must learn how to get rid of or reduce the soreness while it occurs.

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How to Treat Sore Calves From Running

When your calf muscles are sore, the first thing to do is give them a rest. You don’t have to avoid all physical activity, but it may be a good idea to avoid high-impact activities that would place more strain on them. That could mean having a few days off running and opting for swimming, cycling, or another low-impact cardio option.

Ice: The Cool Way to Reduce Calf Pain

Applying ice or a cold compress to your painful legs can reduce inflammation and lower pain levels. Wrap a cold pack in a towel before placing it on your calves to avoid ice burn.

You can apply ice several times a day for 15 to 20 minutes. Give it an hour between sessions to allow your skin and muscles to warm up again.

Compression: A Warm Hug for Your Calves

A compression calf sleeve is an excellent recovery tool. A compression sleeve could help improve circulation and reduce swelling when dealing with sore calf muscles. If you don’t have a compression sleeve, you can wrap a bandage around your calf to compress the muscle.

Wrap it tightly enough to provide a light massaging compression, but not so tight that it cuts off circulation in your foot.

Elevation: The Calf Recovery Position

Once you’re home, lying down and elevating your legs above the level of your heart can reduce swelling and ease pain in the legs. This is especially helpful when calf pain is caused by fluid accumulation in the lower legs.

Post-Run Stretching: The Importance of a Good Cool Down

Your cool-down is as important as your warm-up. Cooling down should include static stretching, which gives the muscles time to flush out lactic acid that can contribute to post-run calf muscle pain. Stretching should be part of your warm-up and cool-down routines, but you can perform these stretches any time during the day to ease up stiff, sore calves.

Most stretches can be held for 15 to 30 seconds on each leg and repeated as many times as you’d like. Be gentle, and don’t push your muscles too hard.

Calf Stretch

Face the wall, place your hands on it, and take a step backwards. Flatten both heels on the ground and bend your front knee. You should feel the stretch in your calves.

Towel Stretch

Sit on the floor and stretch your legs out in front of you. Using a towel or a resistant band, loop it around the ball of one foot and gently pull your foot towards you. Make sure your heel and knee don’t lift off the floor.

Achilles Stretch

The calf muscle runs down to your ankle, connecting to your Achilles. Whether your calf soreness is near the top or bottom of your calf muscle, spending a few minutes stretching your Achilles region in your post-run cooldown is a great way to prevent tightness throughout the muscle.

Ankle Rolls

This simple exercise is a great way to help loosen the calves without stretching or massaging. Simply roll the ankle on of the tight calf in both directions.

For an additional benefit, elevate your foot by propping the ankle on the edge of a surface, such as a bar or stool edge, so the foot is suspended in the air. This allows more range of motion in the foot, promoting more mobility and helping reduce tension.

Add a Lacrosse Ball

If stretching and self-massage do not cause pain, add a lacrosse ball to your recovery efforts. Place a lacrosse ball on the floor and rest your calf on top of it. Roll up and down to help loosen things up, applying as much pressure as is comfortable.

Preventing and Relieving Tight Calves

Another method that is particularly helpful for reducing tightness in a single area is to place a lacrosse ball on top of your calf when kneeling. Sit down on top of your heels so the ball is wedged between your calf and hamstring, receiving pressure from your own body weight.

While these methods are helpful for those currently suffering from sore calves from running, the goal is to avoid them entirely. To do so, runners need to focus on preventing the tightness from occurring in the first place.

Massage: Get Your Calves Back to Normal

Massage is a great way to stimulate blood flow, ease muscle tension, and relieve pain. You can massage your calf muscles or ask someone to do it.

Use the palm, the knuckles, and the fingers to massage the calf muscles. You’ll be able to apply good pressure with the palm and get into the more minor knots with the knuckles.

Foam Rolling: An Effective Alternative to Massage for Calf Recovery

Foam rolling could be a better option for some people, especially if you don’t have someone to help massage your calves. Every runner should have a foam roller.

For calves, sit on a mat and extend your legs before you. Place the foam roller on the mat underneath one of your calf muscles. Lift yourself off the ground using your hands behind you, and lean into the foam roller with your body weight. Shift yourself forward so that your calf runs along the foam roller right to under the knee, and then shift yourself backward until the foam roller reaches just above your ankle.

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8 Ways to Prevent Calf Soreness During and After Running

1. Always Start With a Good Warm-Up

Warming up is crucial. Before you start, do light cardio and dynamic stretching to get the blood flowing through those muscles. This warms them up and prepares them to go through the activity and their full range of motion with less chance of injury.

2. Gradual Increase in Intensity

Increase mileage, intensity, or time slowly. Follow the 10% rule, increase only one of those factors, by 10% at a maximum every week. This will help you to progress steadily without pushing yourself so hard that you’re likely to overtrain and injure yourself.

3. Correct Running Form

Poor form can place a lot of excess stress on your calves. Fixing your form can make a massive difference to your calf pain, as it reduces that pressure and allows your calf muscles to move through their full range of motion without being pushed too far.

4. Good Running Shoes

Wearing running shoes that support your feet can go a long way towards easing up calf pain. Your feet will be held in a neutral position, preventing them from moving out of their regular range of motion and placing strain on the calves. The shoes you choose should also have adequate cushioning.

This ensures that impact is absorbed into the cushioning rather than taking its toll on your joints, muscles, and tissues, including the calf muscles. A higher-drop shoe will also relieve strain on the Achilles. If your pain only began after you switched to lower-drop shoes, switching back to high-drop shoes, 10 to 12 mm, can make a big difference.

5. Cross-Training 

Running is a high-impact sport. Incorporating cross-training into your routine can help keep your fitness levels up, but take a load off the lower legs, easing stiffness and pain. Many runners have strong hamstrings but weak quads. This makes them more likely to develop injuries and calf pain.

You may also want to do exercises to improve your ankle and foot strength. A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine found that runners who followed an eight-week foot and ankle strengthening program had far fewer running injuries than those who just stretched after each workout.

6. Hydration and Electrolytes

Hydration is essential. Ensure you remain hydrated throughout the day, not just when running. You should also carry electrolyte tablets if running for longer than an hour.

7. Terrain and Training Variety

Mix up hilly runs with routes on flatter terrain to build strength in your calves. Switching it up can help distribute your body weight more evenly, reducing pain. But running more often on rougher terrain, like trails, can also help strengthen your calves.

8. Have “movement snacks”

If you, like so many of us, sit for hours a day at your computer and then jump up and go for a four-mile run, your body might not love that,” says Dr. Melson.

Short bursts of activity throughout the day, like walking up and down office stairs or doing jumping jacks or wall push-ups near your desk, can warm up muscles so they are more ready for your run and less prone to injury.

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