Caroline Arnold Sports Therapy and Pilates

18/04/2026

Some ideas for Tendon Rehab Progressions...

17/04/2026

09/04/2026

Myth busting time for back pain

11/03/2026

Weight lifting is the safest sport you can do !

08/03/2026

☯️ It's a great way to start your day.

06/02/2026

Pronation has long been the perceived enemy of the runner.

Yet this mechanism which is much needed in fact, often causes no issue whatsoever in runners.

But somehow people are steered and advised to limit/ avoid / alter it at all costs.

Of course if you experience issues we may temporarily do something about it to offload the structures that are annoyed and irritated for a period of time.

This study assessed if novice runners with different foot positions had more / less injury by simply wearing a neutral show regardless of their foot mechanics.

Here’s the findings but it’s important to not some of the caveats they state further on regarding unknowns and further research 👍

“There appears to be no risk that overpronation or underpronation can lead to running injuries through using neutral shoes for this special group of healthy beginners.”

This is the result of a study conducted at Aarhus University which has just been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine under the title "Foot pronation is not associated with increased injury risk in novice runners wearing a neutral shoe."

Healthy runners monitored for 12 months

Researchers have followed 927 healthy novice runners with different pronation types for a full year.

All study participants received the same model of neutral running shoe, regardless of whether they had neutral foot pronation or not.

During the study period, 252 people suffered an injury, and the runners ran a total of 163,401 km.

"We have now compared runners with neutral foot pronation with the runners who pronate to varying degrees, and our findings suggest that overpronating runners do not have a higher risk of injury than anyone else,"

"This is a controversial finding as it has been assumed for many years that it is injurious to run in shoes without the necessary support if you over/underpronate," he says.

Rasmus Ø. Nielsen emphasises that the study has not looked at what happens when you run in a pair of non-neutral shoes, and what runners should consider with respect to pronation and choice of shoe once they have already suffered a running injury.

Focus on other risk factors

The researchers are now predicting that in future we will stop regarding foot pronation as a major risk factor in connection with running injuries among healthy novice runners.

Instead, they suggest that beginners should consider other factors such as overweight, training volume and old injuries to avoid running injuries.

"However, we still need to research the extent to which feet with extreme pronation are subject to a greater risk of running injury than feet with normal pronation," says Rasmus Ø. Nielsen.

Three key results

In the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the researchers point to three key results:

The study contradicts the current assumption that over/underpronation in the foot leads to an increased risk of running injury if you run in a neutral pair of running shoes.

The study shows that the risk of injury was the same for runners after the first 250 km, irrespective of their pronation type.

The study shows that the number of injuries per 1,000 km of running was significantly lower among runners who over/underpronate than among those with neutral foot pronation.

Journal Reference:

R. O. Nielsen, I. Buist, E. T. Parner, E. A. Nohr, H. Sorensen, M. Lind, S. Rasmussen. Foot pronation is not associated with increased injury risk in novice runners wearing a neutral shoe: a 1-year prospective cohort study. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2013; DOI: 10.1136/bjsports-2013-092202

05/02/2026

24/11/2025

Great listen

Very excited to announce the launch of a new podcast!! 🎤🎧

Welcome to The Everyday Athlete Podcast where our mission is simple: better conversations about training, injury, and performance.

Each episode we will tackle the messy, confusing, and fascinating realities of what it takes to be an athlete today — hopefully with honesty, humour, and no-nonsense insight from our experiences as both athletes and therapists / coaches.

Please do follow and recommend us to your colleagues, friends and fellow athletes.

Available across Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.

We are also on insta as

We really hope you enjoy listening, Rosi & Mike.

Episode 1 now available: https://open.spotify.com/show/1la9TZRobursegSFFLlKNu?si=KZQhVFeTQTy0rvnr0WLE_Q

22/11/2025

Creatine is one of the most proven and accepted supplements in sport…

But for endurance athletes?
The story is very different.

Here’s the truth 👇

1️⃣ Does creatine boost endurance performance?
Short answer: Not really.

Meta-analyses in trained endurance athletes show No meaningful improvement in VO₂max, time trial, or endurance performance.

Some studies even show slightly worse VO₂max gains when training with creatine.

So for marathoners, long-course triathletes, and ultra runners → don’t expect magic.

2️⃣ The catch: weight gain

Creatine reliably adds 1–2 kg of extra intracellular water.

For weight-bearing sports, hill running, or events where W·kg rules performance, that extra mass often outweighs any potential benefit.

As Asker Jeukendrup puts it - “The power gains are usually offset by the weight gain for most endurance athletes”.

3️⃣ So why do some endurance athletes still use creatine?

Because it does help in specific situations:

✔ Sprint-heavy cycling, XC MTB, CX, or surgy racing

Creatine can improve: Sprint finish ability, Attacks & repeated surges, High-power demands and is less of an issue if added mass doesn’t slow you down (e.g., TTs, track, flat cycling).

✔ Strength blocks / off-season training

Trent Stellingwerff emphasises periodised supplementation: Use creatine when you’re building the “chassis”:Strength, Power, Muscular robustness, Bone health: Then stop 3–4 weeks before key races.

Stuart Phillips’ work is clear: Creatine supports strength, muscle retention, and training adaptation, which is valuable in Off-loading phases, Return to running, Masters endurance athletes preserving lean mass.

4️⃣ When creatine is not worth it

❌ Marathon training
❌ Ultra endurance
❌ Hill running / mountain races
❌ Athletes sensitive to weight gain
❌ Those managing RED-S risk or body image concerns

Here, the cons > pros.

5️⃣ If you do take creatine…
• Use Creatine Monohydrate (Informed-Sport tested)
• Dose: 3–5 g/day
• No loading phase needed
• Take with food or post-training
• Expect 1–2 kg water gain
• Stop ~3–4 weeks pre-race if weight matters

6️⃣ The take-home message

Creatine is brilliant for strength and power, but a niche tool in endurance sport.

For most runners and long-course triathletes → skip it. For cyclists, sprinters, strength blocks, rehab, or masters athletes → it can be a smart, targeted choice.

Use creatine strategically, not automatically when safe to do so.

18/11/2025