Supination Resistance Effects

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Foot movements, especially when performing sports activities, need to be supported by the foot in order to guarantee sufficient mobility and stability during walking, running and jumping. The supination resistance of the foot plays a crucial role during these movements. The term supination describes the outward rolling of the foot takes when weight is transferred onto the outside of the foot. Supination resistance is the opposing force that prevents the foot from taking such a large outward rolling movement. It is therefore an important biomechanical factor for sportsmen and athletes in relation to their performance and injury prevention.

A number of biomechanical factors that affect the supination resistance of the foot. The alignment of the subtalar joint, and thus the arch height and angle of the ankle joint are key factors that can affect how the foot is expected to function, and how it actually functions. The position of the forefoot, and how this relates to the rear foot during weight transfer also has a significant effect on supination resistance. For instance, individuals with stiffer foot types will generally have higher supination resistance than those with more mobile feet. Additionally, those with higher arches will generally have higher supination resistance than individuals with flatter foot types. Studies have shown that increased supination resistance can increase the risk of injury, placing unusual stresses on the knee, hip and lower back.

The musculature of the foot is another important factor that needs to be considered when analyzing how the foot functions during gait. The muscles of the foot and lower leg enable us to control where we place our foot when walking. In addition, the muscles of the foot allow us to change direction quickly. In order to participate in sports that require rapid changes of direction athletes must possess foot muscles that are flexible and strong. The assessment of supination resistance can highlight areas of deficiency within the foot. For example, increased supination resistance can place excessive stress on the structures around the ankle, potentially causing injury. Research by Payne and Munteanu (2003) and Griffiths and McEwan (2012) has found that assessing the strength of the foot muscles can indicate problems with supination as well as other aspects of foot function. It is therefore very important to test the strength of the muscles of the foot in order to maximize athletic performance.

The tests for supination resistance of the foot are also of importance with respect to dynamic motion. By means of these tests it can be determined how much resistance a foot structure offers against supination. In order to improve performance of athletes and to prevent injuries in sports, in training and in sports, in training and in sports, coaches and health care providers have to be informed about the supination resistance of a foot. By assessing the supination resistance of a single foot, coaches and health care providers can develop training programs and provide a rehabilitation program which are designed to the needs of the foot of an athlete. In this way the athlete can be prepared optimally for his or her sports.

Foot orthoses or shoe insoles are important factors that can be used to help change the amount of supination resistance in the foot. Foot orthoses are typically custom made by hand or by computer to provide specific support for a patient’s foot and work to redistribute forces throughout the foot in order to alleviate torsional stress and or motion. Research studies completed by McBride et al. (2019) and Moisan et al. (2022, 2025, 2026) have demonstrated the benefits of using custom-made foot orthoses and how they can improve an athlete’s foot mechanics and improve the function of other parts of the body including the muscles.

The supination resistance of the foot is an important parameter that can be altered by various biomechanical factors. Initially, the key factor that affects the supination resistance of the foot is the structure of the foot and how it functions. The bones of the foot and the structure of the arches provide support and permit movement of the foot, while the muscles, tendons and ligaments provide stability to the foot allowing it to move freely in various directions. Therefore, the resistance of the foot to supination is also affected by the same parameters that affect the function of the foot. In other words, the supination resistance of the foot is determined by how the foot functions as a structure during movement.

One of the main determinants of supination resistance in the foot is its alignment. The arch height, the angle of the ankle and the position of the forefoot can influence the amount of supination resistance the foot has. A foot with a high arch for example can create a lot of supination resistance as the foot cannot easily adapt to different surfaces. A foot with a low arch on the other hand will create more supination resistance on the outer aspect of the foot, however this can cause more pronation (the inward rolling of the foot) and therefore decrease the supination resistance of the foot. The research by Moisan et al. (2023) into supination resistance and foot structure has shown that there is an increased risk of musculoskeletal injury if the foot is not in optimal alignment to absorb shock. The increased stress on the knees, hips and lower back can affect an athlete’s performance and increase the risk of injury.

Biomechanics of Supination Resistance During Gait: Influencing Athletic Performance. When an athlete moves, performing a variety of tasks while running or participating in jump-oriented sports, they perform a variety of activities which generate forces in numerous different directions. Because the highest loads are incurred during ground contact, evaluation of athletic foot function should include analysis of the mechanisms which facilitate the transition of the foot from heel strike to toe off. Variations in supination resistance, measured through a number of tests that measure how a given athlete’s foot resists supination (outward foot rolling) throughout gait, result in variation amongst athletes within a number of different kinematic measures, including ankle movement during late stance (Moisan 2025). Additional variability exists regarding a host of different kinetic parameters that determine aspects of external loads placed upon ground, thereby potentially producing considerable strain on joints throughout lower extremities (for example, McBride 2019). As these measures portray an athlete’s rigid or inflexible type of foot that fail to maximize amount of energy being produced in push-off. As such, a means by which greater supination resistance throughout a number of various resistance tests may create negative impacts upon athletic performance of given individuals.

Variations in supination resistance can have implications for the athletic performer. Specifically those individuals exhibiting high levels of supination greater than others may be placed at an increased risk of injury such as lateral ankle sprains and stress fractures. Furthermore, the increased lateral forces associated with excessive supination can place increased stress on joints throughout the lower extremity. Interventions have been designed to help manage these forces and subsequently reduce the risk of injury. Custom foot orthoses, for example, have been shown to aid in modifying supination resistance to ensure optimal function (Moisan et al., 2026).

Supination resistance, as a structure based factor, can be managed in athletic and sporting activities by trainers and coaches by getting to know individual variation in supination resistance of their athletes. By finding out the structure of the athlete’s foot, which affects function of the foot during sporting activities, effective training and methods of rehabilitation for injuries can be formulated. The trainers and coaches of the athletes can get to know ways and methods for athletes to increase athletic performance while decreasing risk of injury during sporting activities by finding out individual variation in supination resistance and understand how structure of the foot affects function of the foot during sporting activities.

The supination resistance of an athlete can also greatly affect the way that they perform in physical training, as well as in their chosen sport. A number of physical activities that are commonly practiced by today’s athletes are of a high-impact nature, meaning that a great amount of stress is placed on an athlete’s joints and muscles. These types of physical activities typically require an athlete to be able to complete rapid changes of direction as well as explosive movements. For athletes who are participating in physical training, it is common for them to practice movements that help improve their balance and stability. An athlete with high supination resistance can provide their foot with greater stability, which allows for powerful push-offs during physical training and athletic competition. In contrast, an athlete with low supination resistance may experience an unstable foot that results in falls during physical training or athletic competition. By determining the supination resistance of an athlete, a coach can gain insight into the functioning of an athlete’s foot and create physical training programs that enable an athlete to improve their athletic performance.

Measuring supination resistance can give coaches an idea of an athlete’s performance and can be used to design injury prevention programs. For example, the ankle can suffer from a number of injuries, including sprains and plantar fasciitis. Both of these conditions are a result of the foot not being able to handle stress placed on the foot. If an athlete has low supination resistance, their foot may roll during high-impact activities, such as running and jumping. Training the foot to deal with stress during movement can help to increase performance and to prevent injuries. An athlete can complete a number of strength and conditioning exercises to improve their foot’s ability to perform during exercise and daily activities. For example, completing heel raises while wearing a towel around the ankle with the ends of the towel held by the athletes can help to strengthen the ankle and improve the athlete’s ability to complete activities that require supination resistance.

Another component of training the lower extremity is supination resistance of the foot. By measuring supination resistance and gauging gait parameters of an athlete during movement, training the lower extremity can be altered and focused towards exercise programs, which enhance supination resistance of the athlete’s foot, such as training of the ankle using particular movements and exercises, utilizing gait training programs, and recommendations of appropriate shoes designed for increased supination resistance of the foot of the athlete during various activities. This assessment can lead to an appropriate point of treatment for an athlete in danger of acquiring a lower extremity injury due to possible weakened components of foot motion.

The understanding of supination resistance in the foot also has implications for individual training programs for athletes. Because there are many different foot types, the same training program will not be as effective for every athlete. Once a coach has a good understanding of an athlete’s supination resistance he or she can design training sessions that include drills to improve the foot’s stability and strength.

Ultimately, the better one becomes at understanding the individual’s biomechanical limitations in relation to supination resistance, the better that individual will perform in competition as well as reduce the risk of injury while training for competition. This can only happen by combining knowledge of the biomechanical limitations with effective and practical ways to train athletes in order to reach their goals in sports.

Citations:

Payen, E., Dami, A., Robb, K., Farahpour, N., Isabelle, P.L. and Moisan, G., 2024. Exploring the relationship between the supination resistance test and the effects of foot orthoses on the foot and ankle biomechanics during walking. Gait & Posture, 113, pp.6-12. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636224001644

Moisan, G., Dami, A., Ghabdian, T., Payen, E., Isabelle, P.L., Farahpour, N. and McBride, S., 2025. The relationship between the supination resistance test, lower limb biomechanics and the effects of foot orthoses on foot and ankle biomechanics in individuals with posterior tibialis tendon dysfunction during gait. Gait & Posture, 117, pp.300-305. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636225000219

McBride, S., Dixon, P., Mokha, M. and Cheng, M.S., 2019. The relationship between supination resistance and the kinetics and kinematics of the foot and ankle during gait. Gait & Posture, 73, pp.239-245. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0966636219302796

Noakes, H. and Payne, C., 2003. The reliability of the manual supination resistance test. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 93(3), pp.185-189. https://japmaonline.org/view/journals/apms/93/3/87507315-93-3-185.xml

Moisan, G., Chicoine, D., McBride, S., Farahpour, N., Isabelle, P.L., Dagenais, C. and Griffiths, I., 2023. Supination resistance variations in foot and ankle musculoskeletal disorders: implications for diagnosis and customised interventions with wedged insoles. Journal of foot and ankle research, 16(1), p.91. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13047-023-00681-5

Moisan, G., Isabelle, P.L., Carrión, Á.G., Chicoine, D., Farahpour, N., Griffiths, I., Dami, A., Reguera Medina, J.M. and McBride, S., 2026. Establishing Normative Values for the Supination Resistance Test: An International Cross‐Sectional Study. Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, 19(1), p.e70137. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/jfa2.70137

Payne, C., Munteanu, S. and Miller, K., 2003. Position of the subtalar joint axis and resistance of the rearfoot to supination. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 93(2), pp.131-135. https://japmaonline.org/view/journals/apms/93/2/87507315-93-2-131.xml

Griffiths, I.B. and McEwan, I.M., 2012. Reliability of a new supination resistance measurement device and validation of the manual supination resistance test. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association, 102(4), pp.278-289. https://japmaonline.org/view/journals/apms/102/4/1020278.xml

Moisan, G., McBride, S., Isabelle, P.L. and Chicoine, D., 2022. The Keystone device as a clinical tool for measuring the supination resistance of the foot: A reliability study. Musculoskeletal Care, 20(3), pp.570-576. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/msc.1614

Panero, E., Gastaldi, L. and Rapp, W., 2017. Two‐Segment Foot Model for the Biomechanical Analysis of Squat. Journal of Healthcare engineering, 2017(1), p.9652948. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1155/2017/9652948