Pronation and supination anatomy. Supination, pronation and VPN exercises
Supination, pronation and VPN exercises
If you carefully study the anatomy of muscles and especially the functions they perform, you can learn a lot of interesting and practically useful things.
In this article, we'll delve deeper into the muscles that control the shoulder joint. There is no doubt that the shoulder joints are extremely important in everyday life. In essence, this is the place from which hands grow, with all the ensuing consequences
When doing fitness, remembering the condition of your shoulder joints is one of the signs of caring about your health and a manifestation of an elementary training culture.
What is supination and pronation?
To clearly understand what we are talking about here, you should understand these terms - supination and pronation. They are often found in books and articles on training.
Supination is an outward rotational movement of a limb or part of it. For example, if there is supination of the hand, bent at the elbow at an angle of 90 degrees, then the hand turns from a palm down position to a palm up position. In the figure this is indicated by number 1.
And it is not so important how the arm is bent at the elbow. Rotation in the direction indicated by arrow 1 is always supination.
Pronation is the opposite of supination, a rotational movement that occurs inward. If you hold a handful of coins in your palm and then decide to pour them out, you need pronation.
The use of the terms pronation and supination in relation to the hand is more or less clear. They are especially popular on bodybuilding forums when it comes to training the biceps and forearms.
What about shoulder pronation and supination?
We hear about this much less often. And completely in vain. In this picture, the athlete performs supination of the shoulder joints.
And on this pronation.
What is VPN?
VPN stands for shoulder external rotation. That is, shoulder supination.VPN exercises are exercises that develop the muscles that rotate the shoulder outward (shoulder supinators).
Why is this necessary?
At the beginning of the article, I drew your attention to the study of muscles and their functions. We read about the muscles that control the shoulder joints:
Shoulder pronation: 1) subscapularis, 2) pectoralis major, 3) anterior deltoid, 4) latissimus dorsi, 5) teres major. Shoulder supination: 1) infraspinatus, 2) teres minor, 3) posterior deltoid. muscles
If you look at the drawing carefully, a lot will become clear. A – front view, B – rear view.
Note! The pronators of the humerus are the two largest muscles in the body - the pectoralis major and the latissimus dorsi! And also the anterior deltoid. During training, everyone does nothing but develop these muscles in every possible way. What happens?
It turns out the following. From strength training, muscles shorten and become noticeably stronger and increase in volume. Have you noticed how funny the arms of massive bodybuilders diverge to the sides? One of the reasons for this is the penetrating effect of the pumped pectoral and latissimus muscles.
The shoulder joint gradually more and more comes into a state of slight, but still noticeable pronation. This is not a completely natural position, and the shoulder joint should bear the main load in a neutral position, and not in a supinated or pronated position.
If we constantly do nothing but pump up the pronators of the shoulders, we create all the prerequisites for distorting the normal geometry of our own shoulder joints. From here it’s not far to injury. Especially when performing bench presses, bent-over rows, and pull-ups. Once! And a sharp pain in the shoulder!
What to do?
1. Include in your training exercises that develop shoulder supinators. This is VPN exercise. They develop mainly the muscles lying on the back of the shoulder blades - supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor.
I will tell and demonstrate them in one of the upcoming articles.
2. Practice stretching the most powerful pronators of the shoulders - the chest and latissimus muscles. I will also write a separate post about them.
Completing these points during training will take 5-7 minutes. But what health benefits!
When building your exercise sets, keep all of the above in mind. And when you use other people's programs, at least superficially analyze them for the purpose of this article.
Be healthy!
Exercise for developing arch supports
How can you develop pronators and supinators? There are many exercises for this. As an example, we will take an exercise such as lifting dumbbells with supination. So how do you do it?
First, let's clarify a few points. The supinated dumbbell curl, also called the supinated biceps curl, is an assistance exercise for building biceps. It is this that turns on the instep supports (muscles that rotate the hand outward) when lifting the dumbbell. When supination occurs, a strong contraction of the biceps and synergistic muscles occurs, which increases the effectiveness of this exercise compared to others.
Why do we only use dumbbells? Because only with their use can we expand the brush as much as possible. Pronation and supination of the forearm in this exercise, if performed properly and with high quality, will give a good impetus to the development of the necessary strength indicators.
Pronation and supination of the foot. What is the difference between pronation and supination?
Biomechanics defines supination and pronation as rotating movements of any limbs that occur as a result of the work of special muscle groups with similar names - supinators and pronators. Essentially, these two concepts are opposites: supination is responsible for turning the legs and arms outward, and pronation, on the contrary, controls rotation inward. By studying the influence of the characteristics of foot placement while running, it is possible to adjust the training process so that it does not harm health.
Pronation of the foot, as well as supination, helps to properly distribute the load when jogging, when the impact force falls on the foot during contact with the hard surface of the ground. Thus, the pronators help the athlete maintain balance both when pushing and when landing. This action of the feet can be compared to the action of car springs, when the suspension spring softens shocks and shocks when driving on an uneven road.
There are various pathologies that disrupt the basic functions of the musculoskeletal system. As a result, an additional increased load is created on absolutely all the muscles of the legs, which is why a person begins to suffer from pain in the knees and joints, as well as from sprained legs and pinched Achilles tendons. The risk of serious injury in this case is very high.
How the foot moves during movement can be traced by paying attention to the so-called “step cycle”, which takes into account two phases: transfer and support. During a step, all leg muscles work, including instep and pronator muscles - it is their level of training that affects the degree of fatigue from exertion. To better understand the differences in foot placement, it is worth taking a closer look at the main types of pronation:
Neutral
The position of the feet is symmetrical - this position is considered correct. During movement, contact with the surface occurs with the outer heel, and the foot itself turns inward quite a bit, a maximum of 13-16%. The arch of the foot is neutral, which allows you to distribute the load evenly over the entire surface during the push. Only this type of pronation can provide a sufficient level of natural shock absorption, so that when jogging, the main force of the impact will be concentrated in the front of the foot.
Overpronation
Violations in the position of the foot in this case are associated with turning it inward - this affects the level of depreciation, reducing it. Load absorption occurs partially, so if shoes are chosen incorrectly, as well as in the absence of special insoles, at the end of the day or after a hard workout, painful sensations may appear in the legs. Push-off during overpronation occurs mainly through the thumb and index finger. In this case, balance can be difficult to maintain, and stability also suffers. It is also worth paying attention to the protection of the ankles; if pronation is impaired, they are more susceptible to dislocations.
Underpronation
In this case, pushing off the ground occurs thanks to the outer side of the foot. Just like in the previous case, natural depreciation is not enough here, so you will have to compensate for it in alternative ways. The main load falls on the little toe; this placement of the foot can soon cause serious pathologies - clubfoot, various deformities, calluses and tendon damage.
The role of rotation in sports
Now let's look at the role of these concepts in sports. Pronation and supination are movements performed by small muscle formations that many athletes do not know about. How important are these small muscles in building our bodies and achieving athletic performance? Do I need to pay attention to them during training? Answer: of course yes!
Since the pronators and supinators are very important muscles, everyone should know about their existence, from a beginner to an experienced athlete. As practice shows, rotator cuff muscles take part in many movements. This means that the entire complex of muscles responsible for supination and pronation occupies an important place in a person’s daily life and plays a significant role in achieving sports results.
The rotator cuff muscles are a prime example of antagonist muscles. They have a close relationship, although they serve to perform opposite functions. It is known that the supinators are stronger than the pronator muscles.
It is almost impossible to achieve harmonious development of the muscles of the forearm without the supinators and pronators of the hands, which will be well developed. This part of the body requires a lot of effort and is a difficult area to work on. Famous bodybuilders always try to include exercises in their training program that use the rotator cuff muscles, as they effectively strengthen and develop it.
The emphasis on the development of supinators and pronators is made by athletes representing sports such as rock climbing, arm wrestling, workout and many others where arm rotations are used.
Pronation and supination of the elbow joint. Introduction to the concept
From an anatomical point of view, pronation and supination are rotational movements of the limbs controlled by special purpose muscle groups. And the science that studies the work of muscle groups in the human body is biomechanics, which appeared relatively recently - in the 70s of the last century.
This medical field studies a number of important problems that arise in the human body during movement. The data obtained as a result of research is of great help to athletes and patients with impaired motor function.
Science that studies the body
In this regard, the concepts of “fascia” and “myofascial chains” also appeared. The science that directly deals with the health of the human body is called kinesiology. From “kinesio” - movement, “logos” - to study. That is, she studies the patterns of body movement.
This may be applicable in sports, in the treatment of pathologies, massage therapists and chiropractors may be interested in this. There are not many kinesiologists, but more and more modern doctors - osteopaths, neurologists - are interested in this area.
Supination in shoes. What is an arch support?
They mean a certain part of the insole, which performs the function of supporting the longitudinal arch of the foot. Typically, arch supports are used in special orthopedic shoes.
about arch supports
The instep support is an orthopedic medical product. therefore, it must be selected individually for each person after consultation with an orthopedic doctor, who will outline the selection criteria. Wearing shoes with arch supports is prescribed for flat feet or for its prevention, and sometimes after severe injuries to the lower leg or foot. The underframes themselves can be made of various materials that have shock-absorbing properties: leather, plastic, rubber or cork. Most often, when people talk about arch supports, they mean children's shoes. Indeed, during the formation of a baby’s foot, various deformations often occur. And the main role of the instep support in this case is to support the muscles and direct them towards proper development. If the child’s foot is developing normally and the doctor does not give recommendations for wearing special orthopedic shoes, then an instep support on the insole is not needed, since it will only interfere with the natural development of the muscles. You cannot prescribe insoles with arch supports for your baby on your own.
how to choose shoes with arch support
When buying orthopedic shoes for your child, keep in mind that they cannot be used for growth. The fact is that the function of the instep support is to support the inner zone of the foot. but if the shoes are not the right size, then the guide will be out of place. in this case, it will not only not be able to fulfill its positive role in the formation of a child’s foot, but on the contrary, it will do harm. Please also note that the arch support used to prevent flat feet should not be too hard and high, because in this case the arch of the foot will constantly rest on the support, and the muscles that support it in tone will begin to weaken. This, in turn, will lead to the formation of longitudinal flat feet. Orthopedic shoes must hold the foot tightly and firmly, that is, have lacing or tight fasteners. A rigid heel counter that secures the heel is also important. Currently, manufacturers of preventive footwear prefer to use anatomical insoles. At the same time, they do not try to make a rigid, clearly visible instep support. Anatomical fit is achieved by making indentations for the heels and linings for the outer and inner arches of the foot. As a result, the foot is correctly positioned in the shoe, and thanks to this, flat feet are prevented. Flat feet is a serious disease. People suffering from it cannot stand for a long time, travel long distances on foot, and constantly feel pain in their legs. Therefore, try to prevent its development as early as possible, and if it does occur, give preference to shoes with arch supports.
Methods for determining foot height
To avoid the consequences of running with excessive or insufficient pronation, you need to choose the right corrective shoes. The first step is to determine what your arch height is.
Method No. 1
The “wet test” is the most accessible and easiest way to determine the rise of the foot. Take a sheet of thick paper or cardboard, wet your foot and place your foot on its surface. To ensure that the test result is reliable, follow these simple rules:
- Put on a sock - this will allow you to form a clearer print
- You need to perform the test while standing - this way the pressure of the foot on the surface will be the same throughout the entire plane.
When the drawing of the foot print dries, evaluate the finished result:
Method No. 2
Stand straight on both feet and ask a friend to stick their index finger under the arch of their feet. If you have a normal rise, the depth will be from 12 to 25 mm. With a low arch of the foot, it is impossible to insert the toe more than 12 mm. The high rise allows you to insert your finger 25 millimeters or more.
Pronation and supination
The mechanism of pronation and supination is the natural shock absorber of the foot.
- Pronation – translated from Latin – to bend forward.
- Supination – also from Latin – to throw back.
During the landing phase, pronation occurs, that is, the arch of the foot tilts. At the same time, the arch of the foot straightens, absorbs the impact and is “charged” for repulsion.
During the push-off phase, supination occurs. The arch of the foot begins to return to its original position and helps push off more effectively.
This is how the depreciation process occurs in the absence of deviations. On
If the feet work this way, then everything is fine. You don’t need to invent anything, bother with insoles and special sneakers. Unfortunately, this doesn't happen often. Most beginning runners have ligaments, joints and muscles that are not designed for running, some even for walking. Why? It's simple: a sedentary lifestyle, sedentary work, all movements by transport. The need to move on foot has become far from paramount and the body has relegated this function to the background. This can be easily corrected with training, but first you need to take care of injury prevention.
How to do the exercise?
- You need to sit on a bench and take a dumbbell in each hand and take the starting position. In this case, the palms must be turned inward.
- Take a deep breath and begin to lift one of the dumbbells, and at the moment when the forearm is parallel to the floor, you need to begin supination - turning the hand outward.
- While the dumbbell reaches the top point, you need to take a short break and return to the starting position, turning the hand back.
- Repeat the same with the dumbbell in the other hand.
For best results, try to keep your elbows still during the approach. When the elbows deviate from the body, the load shifts from the biceps. You should turn the hand only at the moment when the elbow is at a right angle. Otherwise, this can lead to traumatic stress on the shoulder joint. And also you should not use cheating.
Pronation and supination of the hand are extremely important points that allow you to use this exercise efficiently and most effectively to achieve the desired results.
Hip supination
Hip adduction
Hip abduction
Hip extension
Hip flexion
Muscles that produce movements in the hip joint
BIOMECHANICS OF THE MUSCLES OF THE LOWER LIMB
The muscles of the lower limb produce movements in the hip, knee, ankle and foot joints.
According to three mutually perpendicular axes of rotation passing through the center of the hip joint, the following movements can be made in this joint with the thigh with the pelvis fixed, and with it the entire leg:
1) flexion and extension, i.e. movement forward and backward;
2) abduction and adduction;
3) pronation and supination;
4) circular motion (circumduction).
When securing the hip or the entire leg, the muscles produce movements of the pelvis: forward, backward, sideways and turns to the right and left. To carry out these movements, there are six functional muscle groups in the hip joint.
The muscles that produce flexion of the thigh in the hip joint include the muscles that cross the transverse axis of this joint and are located in front of it. These include:
1) iliopsoas;
2) tailoring;
3) tensor fasciae lata muscle,
1) 4) comb;
4) rectus femoris muscle.
Muscles that also cross the transverse axis of the hip joint, but are located posterior to it, take part in hip extension. These muscles go both from the pelvis to the thigh and from the pelvis to the lower leg. These include:
1) gluteus maximus;
2) biceps femoris muscle;
3) semitendinosus:
4) semimembranous;
5) adductor magnus
The hip abductor muscles cross the sagittal axis of the hip joint and are located on its lateral side. They are attached mainly to the greater trochanter. These muscles include:
1) gluteus medius;
2) gluteus minimus;
3) pear-shaped;
4) internal obturator;
5) twins;
6) tensor muscle of the fascia lata.
Adduction of the hip is carried out by muscles that cross the sagittal axis of the hip joint and are located medial to it. These include:
1) comb;
2) thin;
3) long adductor;
4) short adductor;
5) adductor magnus.
Muscles supinating the thigh, except the iliopsoas. cross the vertical axis of the hip joint obliquely. The iliopsoas muscle supinates the thigh due to the special location of the lesser trochanter (not only anteriorly, but also medially). The muscles that supinate the thigh include:
1) iliopsoas;
2) quadratus femoris muscle;
3) gluteal muscles, of which the medius and minimus supinate the thigh only with their posterior bundles;
4) tailoring;
5) internal obturator and external obturator muscles;
6) pear-shaped;
7) twins.
Shoulder rotation
In addition to rotation of the muscles of the forearm and biceps, pronation and supination of the shoulder also plays an important role in everyday life and sports. Why should you pay more attention to the shoulder and its pronators? Because muscle groups such as the pectoralis major and latissimus, which are among the largest muscles in our body, serve as pronators of the shoulder, and these are the muscles that try to “pump up” everything.
As strength and volume increase, the muscles shorten and involuntary pronation of the shoulder occurs. All this sometimes leads to the fact that pumped-up athletes have arms that diverge to the sides, and this gives them a very funny look. To prevent this from happening, you need to pay considerable attention to the shoulder supports during training. These are muscles such as the infraspinatus, teres minor and posterior deltoid.
Arch support. What is an instep support?
Orthopedic instep supports are products whose purpose is to support the arches of the foot (transversely or longitudinally). To put it simply, the instep support is usually represented by a simple insole that is inserted into ordinary or specialized shoes (orthopedic, sports or hunting boots). This is necessary in cases where the foot has an inward tilt or a person is diagnosed with flat feet.
Why are pronators and supinators so important? To begin with, it would be nice to understand how one differs from the other. Pronators tend to provide support to the forefoot, which is very important for transverse flatfoot. If we talk specifically about instep supports, they often support the arch of the foot longitudinally or in the heel area. It is impossible to cope without these devices if you have flat feet, since it provokes disturbances in the spring function of the feet. Because of this, the entire impact load during movement migrates to the joints, spine and brain of a person, because every step with such a pathology leads to a microconcussion.
In such circumstances, you cannot do without orthopedic products, since they reduce the intensity of pain when walking and protect the feet from possible deformations, for example, from flattening of the foot. In addition, such devices normalize the entire human musculoskeletal system.
In other words, arch supports are indispensable in such cases:
- to normalize blood flow;
- with transverse flatfoot;
- to improve overall well-being;
- to counteract excessive leg fatigue;
- after injuries or fractures of the bones of the foot and leg;
- in order to hold the arch of the foot longitudinally (with longitudinal flat feet);
- to reduce the load on the ankle, knee, hip joints, as well as on the spine.
Separately, we should dwell on the function of arch supports as assistance in rehabilitation for injuries. For example, they are absolutely indispensable for such a rare injury as a heel fracture. Naturally, in the first stages of treatment a plaster boot is needed, but after 2 months the plaster is removed and during this period it is no longer possible to do without a special instep support. Such a heel support should reduce the intensity of the load on the damaged heel. It is selected by a doctor and worn for 4 to 8 months (depending on the severity of the injury).
Overpronation
Overpronation is a decrease in the level of the arch of the foot relative to the surface. Externally manifested by the inclination of the feet to the inside of the legs. Because the ligaments of the foot are relaxed and stretched, they cannot provide good shock absorption. Often, but not always, overpronation is accompanied by flat feet, which is facilitated by decreased tone of the foot muscles. Flat feet increase stress on the knees, spine and pelvis.
In the first phase, the hyperpronators touch the surface with the outside of the heel. However, then the foot noticeably rotates inward - more than 15%. The pronation phase is delayed, preventing the foot from taking a neutral position and supinating during the propulsion phase. Push-off during supination is performed using the first two toes:
This condition of the foot does not provide sufficient stabilization of the body. To avoid injury and excessive fatigue, it is necessary to use supportive shoes and built-in arch supports.
How to choose the right shoes?
The most important criterion when choosing shoes is the comfort of your feet during any movement. Shoes that are too loose are just as harmful as tight ones. It is better to choose shoes with an instep support; this is also a prerequisite for shoes for children. Use orthopedic insoles, especially if you are on your feet for a long time.
Shoes for active activities, including running, should be worn with particular care. Don't forget to keep a few things in mind. First: decide exactly what type of load the shoes will need to withstand. Second: try to correctly determine your type of pronation. Each of them corresponds to its own class of sports shoes. So, for normal pronation, choose “Support” class sneakers; flat feet require the use of “Control” class shoes; for hypopronation (clubfoot), buy “Neutral” class sneakers.
Modern manufacturers make the task of choosing sports shoes easy; large companies have their own scientific developments in this area, and take into account all types of pronation. These are, for example, the companies Mizuno (Mizuno), Asics (Asics), Salomon (Salomon), Saucony (Saikoni), Brooks (Brooks) and others.
Do you doubt the need to purchase branded shoes? Not worth it. Shoes without correction for existing problems can cause discomfort and pain when running and worsen the situation. This will negatively affect both your results and your health. Do not neglect our advice, take care of your health, and show good results always and everywhere.
Insoles and sneakers for flat feet
Improper foot placement can lead to pain in the knees and back, periosteum and Achilles tendon. Getting the right running shoes and insoles will only solve half the problem, the other half lies in doing foot strengthening exercises.
Insoles and sneakers for overpronation are just “crutches”. They do not cure, but help to avoid pain when walking and running, and protect against more severe injuries. In running shoes with support or insoles, the foot is not loaded and does not receive shock absorption. Therefore, several times a week, do short jogs at an easy pace in unsupported running shoes and do exercises to strengthen your feet .
Sneakers for flat feet
Sneakers for overpronators have a special rigid insert in the arch of the foot. It prevents the foot from falling through and puts the ankle in the correct position. Some manufacturers abandon hard inserts in shoes and solve this with a special shape of the sole, which thickens in the arch area.
Important components of running shoes for flat feet:
- stable sidewall
- Achilles support
- heel with good cushioning
- special insert for stabilization
Here is a comparison of foot placement in regular soft running shoes and running shoes for overpronation:
Running insoles for overpronation
For severe overpronation, orthotics can help. You can choose ready-made options or order individual production. Be sure to tell your doctor that you plan to use them for running. Orthopedic insoles are inserted into any shoes only instead of the original insole. Don't stack them on top of each other.
This is how running insoles work:
Remember, the insole does not solve the problem. Without working on your feet, the problem will not go away. In some cases, abnormalities in the feet can only be corrected surgically. To determine the degree of deviation and select treatment methods, consult with an orthopedic doctor.
How to determine overpronation and hypersupination of the foot
There are 2 types of diagnostics:
- Static. Determines pronation in a stationary position and does not show the actual work of the foot during running.
- Dynamic. More accurate method. The arch of the foot is checked using a special machine, similar to a scanner, in three positions: standing on two legs, on one leg and in a squat. Then a treadmill test is performed, a video is recorded and the test is played back in slow motion.
The dynamic test is carried out in specialized running stores. Unfortunately, there are few of these in Russia - only a few in Moscow and St. Petersburg. If you are unable to get such a test, contact an orthopedic center. There they will check you on a scanner, but without a treadmill. After checking, they will most likely offer to buy or order insoles. Just don’t rush to buy them right away.
A static test can be done at home - this is a simple "wet test". Stand with your wet foot on the floor and examine the print:
Prevention of foot deformities
Take care of your feet, allow them enough rest, and on the most difficult days, massage your feet and relieve excess tension with foot baths.
The violations we talked about can cause a lot of inconvenience. In order not to create problems for yourself, pay close attention to your feelings and the doctor’s recommendations. There are also computer diagnostics to determine the cause of foot deformity.
To avoid such troubles, you should choose your shoes very carefully.