One overlooked muscle that can contribute to knee pain in runners and HYROX athletes

Knee pain is one of the most common reasons runners and HYROX athletes seek treatment. Naturally, most people assume the problem is the knee itself.

But here's the thing: pain isn't always where the problem starts.

One muscle group I almost always assess when someone comes to me with knee pain is the adductors, the muscles that run along the inside of your thigh.

What do the adductors actually do?

Most people think the adductors simply pull the leg towards the midline of the body.

While that's true, they do much more than that.

During running, lunges, sled pushes, sled pulls, burpees, and every single stride, your adductors help:

• Stabilise your pelvis.

• Control hip movement.

• Assist with force transfer between your trunk and leg.

• Help keep your knee tracking efficiently throughout movement.

When these muscles become overloaded, tight, or lack strength, they can influence how your hip moves. Over time, this may increase the load placed on other structures around the knee.

That doesn't mean the adductors are always the cause of knee pain, but they're often an important piece of the puzzle.

Why this matters for HYROX athletes

HYROX places huge demands on the lower body.

Think about the movements involved:

• Sled pushes

• Sled pulls

• Walking lunges

• Running

• Wall balls

• Farmers carries

Your adductors are working throughout almost every station.

When they're not functioning well, your body has to compensate somewhere else. Often, that compensation shows up as stiffness around the hips, reduced stride efficiency, or discomfort around the knee.

Why I don't just treat the knee

If you've ever watched one of my treatment videos, you'll notice something.

Someone comes in with knee pain...

...and I might spend very little time treating the knee itself.

That's because effective treatment starts with understanding why the knee is becoming overloaded.

Sometimes it's limited hip mobility.

Sometimes it's the calf.

Sometimes it's the ankle.

Sometimes it's the adductors.

The location of your pain isn't always the location of the problem.

A quick self-assessment

If you're wondering whether your adductors could be contributing to restricted hip movement, I've shared a simple self-assessment on my Youtube channel.

It takes less than a minute to perform and can give you a better idea of whether your hips move differently from one side to the other.

Remember though, a self-assessment doesn't diagnose the problem. It simply provides useful information. If you're dealing with ongoing knee pain, it's worth having a thorough assessment to identify what's really driving your symptoms.

The bigger picture

Whether you're training for your next marathon, preparing for your first HYROX, or simply enjoy staying active, recurring knee pain shouldn't be something you just accept.

Successful treatment isn't about chasing symptoms.

It's about understanding how your whole body moves, identifying the structures contributing to the problem, and creating a plan that helps you keep training for the long term.

Because the goal isn't just to get you out of pain.

It's to help you move better, perform better, and stay active doing the things you love.

Need help with persistent knee pain?

If you're a runner or HYROX athlete in Brisbane and knee pain keeps interrupting your training, I'd love to help.

At Move Better with Roxy, every assessment looks beyond the painful area to uncover what's really driving your symptoms. My goal isn't just temporary relief. It's helping you move confidently, train consistently, and reduce the chances of the pain coming back.

Book your assessment and let's get you back to doing what you love.