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As a runner who’s eager to seek out methods to run higher and assist others to do the identical, I’ve usually contemplated the query – what’s the most effective option to run?
New analysis from Bas Van Hooren and colleagues in Sports activities Medication has tried to reply this by finishing a scientific assessment and meta-analysis. They included 51 research with 1115 runners!
What did they discover?
A better step fee (cadence) and better vertical stiffness and leg stiffness had been related to decrease vitality price/ higher operating economic system. Decreased vertical oscillation and trunk flexion might also assist effectivity. Higher knee flexion in swing is commonly inspired by coaches however may very well be related to poorer operating economic system!
We’ve summarised their findings at totally different levels within the operating gait cycle within the photos beneath (tailored from Van Hooren et al. 2024):
How may we apply this clinically?
Runners with a low step fee (e.g. lower than 175) could profit from a small enhance (e.g. 3 to eight%), which might be achieved by operating to the beat of a metronome or music. This can assist tackle over-striding (which is believed to scale back effectivity) and enhance leg stiffness and scale back vertical oscillation. Encouraging a extra upright trunk place could assist effectivity too.
Power coaching and/or plyometrics might also assist operating economic system by rising decrease limb stiffness.
Runners are sometimes suggested to change to forefoot strike to enhance effectivity however this assessment concluded that operating economic system didn’t considerably differ between rearfoot or midfoot/forefoot strikers. Growing knee flexion throughout swing can be generally instructed however this can be related to worse operating economic system and better vitality price.
This reveals that we have to be cautious of a one-size-fits-all all method – suggestions ought to be primarily based on particular person evaluation and desires.
Runners usually actually worth gait evaluation and recommendation on enhancing their approach so we’ve an in depth module dedicated to it in Operating Repairs On-line. Discover out extra about our on-line course and the way it will allow you to get nice outcomes with injured runners right here.
Just a few issues to think about…
The associations between biomechanics and economic system had been usually small to average and, in some instances, had been non-significant or ‘trivial’. There’s additionally restricted proof that biomechanical adjustments result in improved efficiency.
Altering operating gait takes effort which can come at a metabolic price (particularly initially) so any advantages must outweigh these prices to enhance economic system/ effectivity.
There’s plenty of nice element within the paper so I’d extremely advocate studying this open entry assessment. Right here’s the hyperlink https://hyperlink.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-01997-3
