How To Be An Economical Runner
Posted October 19, 2007 at 12:00 PM by Lisa Cieplechowicz
Section: In The News, His Fitness, Cardio Training, His Health, Physical Health
For many runners, scoring a faster running time can be a point of frustration. Though you train regularly and your technique may seem impeccable, sometimes your efforts seem to add up to nothing when it comes to improving your speed. In fact, how fast or slow you run often has a great deal to do with your economy of motion.
Economy of motion is a simple enough concept. It refers to the relationship between how much energy you expend when you run and how fast you go. Typically, the less energy it take you to run a given distance the faster - or more “economical” - you will run. Unfortunately, as the New York Times reports, improving your running economy is one task that’s particularly difficult to accomplish, if possible at all.
Though exercise physiologists assert that training can help improve one’s economy, many also admit that it’s not clear what kind of training it takes, or how long one must train to see a significant difference. There have been very few documented cases of individuals improving their running economy. Lance Armstrong was one - he gained approximately 1% efficiency per year throughout a 7 year period. British marathoner Paula Radcliffe also managed to increase her economy regularly during an 11-year span. However, scientists continue to question what kind of efforts it takes for the average person to accomplish such a feat.
The struggle to be an economical athlete may not be completely hopeless, however. Dr. Jack Daniels, an exercise physiologist at the Center for High Altitude Training at Northern Arizona University, and Dr. Edward Coyle, exercise physiologist at the University of Texas, Austin, recently revealed to the New York Times certain theories they believe contribute to an improved running economy. For instance, by studying hundreds of runners, Dr. Daniels calculated that taking about 180 steps per minute proved to have the most economical results. Using a more anatomical framework, Dr. Coyle noted that the most economical cyclists have an abundance of a certain “slow-twitch” muscle fiber. He suggests that with enough training, nerves may become programmed to allow more leg muscles to participate in pedaling with the end result being a more economical ride.
According to an article originally published in Northwest Runner magazine, factors such as stride length, shoe weight, and air resistance may contribute to economy as well. For example, research published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise indicated that for runners to be most economical, they should stick to their natural stride length, which was defined as the stride length used when running without supervision or feedback. According to their findings, the more you deviate from your natural stride, the more energy you use, which ultimately affects your speed.
As for shoe weight, studies from the Journal of Experimental Biology argue that placing heavier weight towards the ends of your limbs hurts your economy because with each stride you must work harder to accelerate your feet forward and decelerate them backwards.
With regards to air resistance, the Journal of Physiology insists that the more air resistance runners encounter, the more energy they must expend to finish a race. The journal even argues that runners can resort to drafting in order to increase their speed; by running behind another, you greatly reduce the amount of air resistance you encounter.
Clearly, economy of motion has the potential to have far-reaching affects on your running ability. So when your feel like your running speed has hit its plateau but you still want to find a way to improve, try working on your economy. It may be a hard task to accomplish, but it’s certainly worth a shot.
Research sources and for more information: [New York Times], [PPonline], [Washington.edu]; [picture]