Which muscles are likely overactive if knee valgus occurs during the squat assessment?

Knee valgus during a squat assessment occurs when the knees collapse inward, which can be indicative of muscular imbalances. Overactive muscles are those that may become excessively tight or dominant relative to their antagonists.

In the case of knee valgus, the adductors are likely to be overactive. The adductor muscles group, which includes the adductor longus, adductor magnus, and adductor brevis, play a pivotal role in stabilizing the thigh and controlling its motion. When these muscles are overactive, they contribute to the inward movement of the knees, pulling them together and compromising proper alignment during dynamic movements like squats.

This overactivity in the adductors can also result from weaknesses in the muscles that are supposed to counterbalance their action, particularly the gluteus medius and gluteus maximus, which help stabilize the hip and control the outward rotation of the femur. Thus, while adductors draw the knees inward, the underactive glute muscles are not able to provide the necessary stabilization, leading to knee valgus.

In summary, the overactivity of the adductors during a squat can directly lead to the observed phenomenon of knee valgus, making them the most likely culprits