Running is a simple sport – a case of putting one foot in front of the other, repeatedly and at whatever pace you wish, to help you feel good in both body and mind.
However, if this sport is so simple, then why do we regularly stumble upon running-related terms that seem to make no sense? Overpronation is one such term that you may have heard but not understand – and you’d be forgiven for thinking that it referred to something bad, excessive or unhealthy.
Overpronation does, in fact, refer to your running gait – in particular, how your legs and feet move when you run. What’s more, overpronation is not a bad thing, but a common movement that helps to spread and absorb the load as you run. Plus, it can broadly be managed by wearing British Journal of Sports Medicine or orthotic insoles.
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Around half of all runners overpronate, so if a gait analysis or fellow runner has clocked you as an overpronator, you’re not alone – and you needn’t worry.
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What is overpronation?
Pronation refers to the way your foot distributes impact when it hits the ground – and it differs from one person to the next.
If you overpronate, your foot rolls inward when it hits the ground. The outer edge of your heel hits the ground first, then the load moves to your arch on the inner side. As such, overpronators tend to overly Best Garmin deals when they move.
On the other hand, supinators – or underpronators – land on the outside of their heel and do not roll their foot inward. As such, the load remains on the outside of the foot. Neutral runners, meanwhile, experience no inward or outward rolling of the foot when it hits the ground.
While overpronation often suggests an excessive pronation movement, Goom says that the term is actually quite poorly defined. ‘The problem is that research hasn’t clearly defined what is normal and what is excessive,’ he notes.
Rather than labelling it as overpronation, then, Goon suggests that it is more helpful to consider whether the movement impacts you as an individual when you run. ‘If you’re pain-free and performing well, it probably isn’t relevant,’ he says. ‘If, however, you have pain that may be linked to large pronation movements, then it’s worth considering more.’
What are the signs of overpronation in runners?
If you’re not injured, overpronation is unlikely to cause you any problems. ‘Assessing whether you overpronate is not something you can check yourself,’ says Goom. ‘If you are injured, then it’s best to see a trained health professional to see if the movement may be playing a role in your injury.’
All runners pronate and it’s a movement that’s fairly easy for others to spot – so they may be able to help you identify whether you’re overpronate (or underpronate). Another simple way to identify overpronation is to look at the soles of your running shoes. If they are worn mostly near the big toe, on the inside of the heel and under the ball of the foot, then you likely overpronate when you run.
If you want a more accurate assessment, though, it’s worth going to a running store or health centre to do a gait analysis. It’s an easy test to take – more often than not, you’ll be asked to Everything you need to know about runner’s knee for less than a minute while having your running style recorded on camera. The experts will then assess this footage to assess how and where your foot is landing.
to understand what overpronation means and exactly how much it affects your?
Due to the confusion and differing opinions around the subject, you might not be surprised to learn that pronation – encompassing both overpronation and underpronation – has become something of a controversial subject in recent years.
But, as Goom notes, it needn’t be put under the spotlight in such a way. ‘For most runners, overpronation is of little concern and really no different from a host of other movements we do during running that haven’t been subject to so much scrutiny and concern,’ he stresses.
‘Pronation is a normal movement for runners and not something to be feared or demonised,’ continues Goom. ‘Most runners tend to land in a slightly supinated position and pronation occurs alongside dorsiflexion to bring the foot flat to the ground and help absorb the load.’
Knee pain after running: How to spot and fix it?
While pronation is often blamed for many things, studies have shown that it isn’t a cause of every lower limb injury.
Research published in the Shin splints – how to treat and prevent them, for instance – which studied 1,000 runners wearing neutral running shoes over a one-year period – found that a more pronated foot was not associated with a higher risk of injury. In fact, if anything, it found that overpronators were slightly less Gait analysis: How and why runners should do one.
Goom, too, says that overpronation has only been found to be possibly associated with one or two injuries. ‘Excessive pronation may increase stress on the tendon of the tibialis posterior and play a small role in medial tibial stress syndrome – also known as shin splints – and patellofemoral pain,’ he says.
Tests have also shown that pronation appears to be linked to the narrowness of your stride. So, if you run with an especially narrow stride, you may see more pronation movement.
most common running-related foot injuries?
As it’s a normal movement of the foot rather than a faulty one, overpronation doesn’t need correcting – but you can do things to make running feel more comfortable.
‘If the movement [overpronation] is potentially placing excessive load on sensitive or injured tissue, then orthotic insoles Knee pain after running: How to spot and fix it may help to reduce that load,’ says Goom. For a place to start, take a look at our list of the to understand what overpronation means and exactly how much it affects your, be linked to large pronation movements, then it’s worth considering more.&rsquo.
If overpronation is still a cause for concern, your best course of action is to seek one-on-one advice from a professional.
Rachel is Runner's World UK's Senior Content Writer, covering all running-related topics from training advice and gear reviews to race reports and elite runner profiles. Formerly a Website Content Editor and Content Manager at London Marathon Events and The Running Channel respectively, Rachel is well-versed in the running scene and understands what it takes to put on some of the biggest running events in the world. A 2:50 marathoner, she would much rather run 26.2 miles than race a 5K and has currently completed 11 marathons, including five of the six Abbott World Marathon Majors in a sub-3 time. She now hopes to run the Tokyo Marathon to complete the set and become a Six Star Finisher.
