Q: My running partner told me that I pronate. Is this normal and should I be concerned about it?
A: A small amount of pronation (inward roll of the foot) is actually normal during walking and running. Just after the foot strikes the ground, the foot will roll in about 5 or so degrees to assist the body in absorbing ground impact forces. However, this normal pronation happens so fast (a fraction of a second) and the movement is so small (think about 5 degrees in a protractor) that it would be difficult to see as you run along with your running partner. I am not saying that your running partner is wrong, just that if they can see you pronate, then you probably pronate more than normal and/or continue to pronate for a period considered longer than normal.
If you are pronating too far, that is, over-pronating, then this can be problematic. However, pronation alone is not a cause of injury. With the correct shoes, good training practices, and good stretching habits most runners can stay away from injuries even if they over-pronate. If you do suffer an injury, over-pronation could slow recovery. You might also consider a shoe for an over-pronator. Brooks has a range of running shoes for over-pronation such as the Beast, Ariel and Addiction 4. For walkers the Addiction comes in brown, black and white leather.
Dr. Nick Brown
Dr. Brown is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas.
