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As a runner who’s eager to search out methods to run higher and assist others to do the identical, I’ve typically 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 evaluate and meta-analysis. They included 51 research with 1115 runners!
What did they discover?
The next step charge (cadence) and better vertical stiffness and leg stiffness had been related to decrease power value/ higher working economic system. Decreased vertical oscillation and trunk flexion might also assist effectivity. Better knee flexion in swing is usually inspired by coaches however may very well be related to poorer working economic system!
We’ve summarised their findings at totally different levels within the working gait cycle within the photographs beneath (tailored from Van Hooren et al. 2024):
How would possibly we apply this clinically?
Runners with a low step charge (e.g. lower than 175) might profit from a small improve (e.g. 3 to eight%), which might be achieved by working to the beat of a metronome or music. This may also help tackle over-striding (which is assumed to cut back effectivity) and enhance leg stiffness and scale back vertical oscillation. Encouraging a extra upright trunk place might assist effectivity too.
Energy coaching and/or plyometrics might also assist working economic system by growing decrease limb stiffness.
Runners are sometimes suggested to change to forefoot strike to enhance effectivity however this evaluate concluded that working economic system didn’t considerably differ between rearfoot or midfoot/forefoot strikers. Rising knee flexion throughout swing can be generally instructed however this can be related to worse working economic system and better power value.
This reveals that we should be cautious of a one-size-fits-all all method – suggestions needs to be based mostly on particular person evaluation and desires.
Runners typically 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 enable you get nice outcomes with injured runners right here.
A number of issues to contemplate…
The associations between biomechanics and economic system had been typically small to average and, in some circumstances, had been non-significant or ‘trivial’. There’s additionally restricted proof that biomechanical adjustments result in improved efficiency.
Altering working gait takes effort which is able to come at a metabolic value (particularly initially) so any advantages must outweigh these prices to enhance economic system/ effectivity.
There’s a lot of nice element within the paper so I’d extremely advocate studying this open entry evaluate. Right here’s the hyperlink https://hyperlink.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-01997-3