Overpronation is one of those terms that as a runner you often hear bandied about but are not 100 percent sure what it means. It sounds like it could be a technical term runners use for eating too much before a run, or lying down for excessive amounts during an ultra-marathon, but it actually refers to your running gait, aka how your body, in particular your legs and feet, moves as you run.
But if you’ve ever been told you overpronate – whether by a shop assistant when buying trainers or by another runner – you may have felt worried that you’re potentially at higher risk of injury, Published: 11 August 2022.
We’re here to put your mind at ease. You’ll be glad to hear that pronation is a normal movement of the feet and legs when running and it helps spread and absorb the load.
‘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,’ says Tom Goom, clinical lead physiotherapist and creator of Running Repairs.
To define over- and under-pronation, overpronation refers to the amount of roll inwards from the outside of the heel to the inner edge of your foot on landing.
Supinators (underpronators), on the other hand, land on the outside of the heel and then do not roll inwards at all, with the load remaining on the outside of the foot.
Due to the confusion and differing opinions around the subject, you might not be surprised to learn that pronation – whether over or under – has become something of a controversial subject over recent years.
We asked Goom to help decipher what overpronation means as a runner, and exactly how much it affects – or doesn’t affect – your running.
So read on for your full explainer on overpronation and how it impacts your running and shoe choice.
What is overpronation for runners?
‘Pronation is a normal movement for runners and not something to be feared or demonised,’ stresses 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.’
Goom says that the term ‘overpronation’ is actually poorly defined, but it often suggests an excessive amount of the pronation movement. ‘The problem is that research hasn’t clearly defined what is normal and what is excessive.’
Rather than labelling it as overpronation, it can be more helpful to consider whether that movement is relevant to you as an individual. ‘If you’re pain-free and performing well, it probably isn’t relevant,’ says Goom. ‘If, however, you have pain that may be linked to large pronation movements then it’s worth considering more.’
Pronation is often blamed for many things but it isn’t a factor or cause of every lower-limb injury. A 2013 So read on for your full explainer on overpronation and how it impacts your running and shoe choice Published: 11 August 2022 found a more pronated foot was not associated with higher risk of injury. Researchers studied 1,000 runners in neutral shoes over the course of a year, and determined pronation did not have a link with injury – in fact, if anything it found pronators were slightly less likely to suffer injury.
In fact, Goom says that it’s only been found to be possibly linked to one or two injuries. ‘Excessive pronation may increase stress on the tendon of tibialis posterior and may play a small role in medial tibial stress syndrome – AKA shin splints – and patellofemoral pain,’ says Goom.
He adds that tests have shown that pronation does appear to be linked to how narrow your stride is, so you may find that if you run with an especially narrow stride you may see more pronation movement.
How can you tell if you overpronate?
If you’re not injured, overpronation is unlikely to be of any concern. ‘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.’
As mentioned earlier, all runners pronate and it’s a movement that’s fairly easy to observe by others. As a result, nearly all runners can be labelled incorrectly as ‘overpronators’, which suggests they may have an issue when really they’re normal.
Should you try to correct it?
As it’s a normal movement rather than a faulty one, overpronation doesn’t need correcting. ‘However, if it’s potentially placing excessive load on sensitive or injured tissue then orthoses [insoles] or motion-control shoes may help to reduce that load,’ says Goom.
As ever, if you think this might be the case for you, it’s advised you seek professional advice if injured.
