Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs

Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and
Aching Legs
Leg recovery using an environmentally friendly recovery system
Atmospheric pressure is all around us and affects all we do and all we are-everyone is walking
around with a column of air on our heads that weighs similarly to a small car but because of air
in the body cavities the pressure is equalized and it does not crush us
But a system in the body it has an effect on is the circulation-it pushes all the fluids in the body
down towards the lowest part of the body, the feet where gravity stops it coming back up to the
body for recycling and recirculation as fresh blood
To stop the muscles fatiguing, fresh oxygen and nutrient filled blood has to keep being
supplied to the muscles-but when the muscles are fatigued they can’t work at facilitating or
supplying their own needs

The calf muscles are the motors for a pump called the calf muscle pump that forces used
blood against gravity through one-way valves in the veins back up the body
When you are on your feet all day and the calf muscles start to fatigue, power stops being
supplied to the pump and the blood just pools around the ankles-the water (or lymph fluid)
separates from it and migrates into the tissues in and around the ankles
As it is not being pumped away fast enough from the lower legs, the ankles swell and if it
wasn’t for the ends of the toes it would all flow out of the body all over the ground

Recovery of leg fatigue

Non-medically related aching legs, are caused by too much standing, sitting, walking, can be a
health danger and while they can’t be fixed because they are usually an occupational related
cause, and this is ongoing
They may be relieved on a temporary basis but can’ be cured because like the ultra competitor
the person with them has to get up and do the same thing on an ongoing daily basis
www.hazards.org/standing
www.worldrun.org

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 1

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
 Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs
Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
Ultra marathon runner and walkers are a group of athletes’ that suffer from similar
problems to those with aching legs

These are 2 people who have just been running for 3 days around a running track in all
weathers
They suffer from sore feet, sore legs, swollen ankles, stiffness, wasted muscles, muscle cramps,
tiredness, mental fatigue, restless legs, sore skin, night pains, muscle spasm, muscle wastage,
swollen ankles, hyperthermia, hypothermia, temper tantrums, vomiting, food sensitivity,
allergies, rashes, loss of judgement
Aching legs fatigued muscles and recovery
However the aching fatigued legs and muscles are developed whether you are a non-athlete
working at a job that causes them on a daily basis or an athlete who runs around the world; or
someone with poor leg circulation from any of these-everyone has the same thing in common
and that is how to recover from these

There are 2 main ways of relieving them of soreness-passive and active

This is the passive way-waiting for the legs to recover themselves

Below is the pro-active result sheet from a 6 day event using Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
Using an environmentally friendly pro-active leg recovery system is easier than you think
when you learn how to use the muscles to work on them selves
But an especially good way to recover from aching legs is to simply work the calf muscle
pump by hand to break the cycle of inactivity caused through muscle fatigue and get rid of
some of the depleted fluid so that fresh blood can enter the muscle tissues
Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 2
http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
 Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs
Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
The secret to leg recovery
The calf muscle pump
The calf muscles act as the motor for a pump to take it from the feet back to the body against
gravity through the venous system where it is re-nourished and recirculated-but to be working
they have to move.

Look at the photo above-how many towels and bottles of oil do you see?
None because the latest in non-polluting, non-technical method of leg recovery techniques is
being used

The active way to help the legs recover is to learn how to work with the muscles
If you can use your hands you have the tools to do the job of recovery

Recovery from leg fatigue or ongoing leg maintenance

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 3

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
 Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs
Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist

Here I am giving a demonstration of leg recovery in Denmark using

Light Manual Muscle Relaxation
More details and references on ultra marathon can be found on my websites
Everyone needs recovery after a tough day-and the fact that to get it blood to the
muscles in the legs needs refreshing
But to get that old depleted blood in the lower legs needs pumping out of them so that new fresh blood
can be pumped in-simple really

How much training and theory does it need to do this?

Very little because it is not specific
How did I discover Light Manual muscle Relaxation?

Because for my first 2 years in ultra marathon I used conventional recovery systems and they
really did not work-nothing changed, nothing improved-it was not until I accidentally changed
my approach from working on the muscles to working with them did things improve for both
myself and the ultra entrants

Below is a chart from when I discovered working with the muscles rather than
on them shows how much things did improve for the runners and walkers

If these figures are translated into recovery speed for the person with aching
legs they would be very happy

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 4

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
 Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs
Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
The difference in approach is illustrated below
Results from 1995 Coburg 6 day footrace

Name Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6

A Krouglikov 237.2 113.6 130 106 126 108 Kilometers
539 284 325 365 315 270 Laps

T Rusek 215.2 98.8 98 139.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers

538 247 245 349 346 306 Laps

M T aylor 174.4 128.8 143.6 123.6 138.4 122.4 Kilometers

436 322 359 309 302 223 Laps

B Beauchamp 180.4 133.2 124 117.6 110 93.2 Kilometers

451 333 310 294 275 233 Laps

P Gray 150 134 105.2 94.8 111.6 106 Kilometers

375 335 263 237 279 265 Laps

D Parri s 138.4 108.4 106.8 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers

346 271 267 274 265 268 Laps

I Davis 168 119.2 90 116.4 106 107.2 Kilometers

420 298 225 291 180 247 Laps

G Watts 132.2 96.4 99.2 104.4 92.8 133.6 Kilometers

328 241 248 261 232 334 Laps

C Young 142 91.2 90 97.6 88 92 Kilometers

355 228 225 244 220 230 Laps

D Kettle 138.2 86.8 90.8 95.2 94.4 84.4 Kilometers

332 217 227 238 236 212 Laps

R H ill 128 80.8 99.2 70 95.6 96.6 Kilometers

320 202 248 175 239 241 Laps

K Fisher 164 91.6 50 115.2 49.6 81.2 Kilometers

410 229 125 288 124 203 Laps

G Pollard 120 74.8 73.6 68.4 69.6 61.2 Kilometers

300 187 184 171 174 153 Laps
The above group came in for Light Manual Muscle Rel axation
The below group did not or had their own recovery people
T Rafferty 141.6 112.8 104.8 101.6 98 96.4 Kilometers
354 282 262 254 245 241 Laps

G McConnel 145.6 110.8 126.4 113.6 108.4 106 ki lometers

363 277 287 284 271 265 Laps

G Audley 152.8 110.8 126.4 113.6 114.8 95.2 ki lometers

S Scanlon 140.8 82 84 34 0 0 Kilometers

352 205 210 85 pulled out-bli sters Laps

J Timms
Copyright 2008 127.2
Michael Gillan 98.4 5 74.8 0 0 0 ki lometers
http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com
 Atmospheric pressure-gravity-the calf muscle pump and aching legs
Michael Gillan Ultra Marathon Recovery Specialist
Quickly-easily and in an environmentally friendly way!

If you want more details go to my website at

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com

Aching legs should always be checked out by a medical professional before doing anything to
and with them because there are many medical reasons why they may be aching-see a
physician first

Copyright 2008 Michael Gillan 6

http://womensweb.aching-legs-relief.com