Imagine a race car for a second, and all the components that affect how fast it can possibly go: It needs an aerodynamic body, but it also needs a well-humming engine.<\/p>\n
A runner\u2019s body is similar: Being the most efficient athlete possible involves focusing on biomechanical factors including stride rate<\/a>, running form<\/a>, and even footwear, says Kate Baird<\/a>, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City.<\/p>\n Equally important, though, are metabolic (a.k.a. conditioning) factors, or what\u2019s happening on the inside or the engine of the car. In particular, that comes down to your overall aerobic capacity<\/a>, your lactate threshold<\/a>, and what energy source (fats versus carbs) your body uses to support your runs. <\/p>\n However, the \u201cbiomechanical bucket also affects the metabolic bucket,\u201d Baird says, meaning that poor form could make you less able to improve your aerobic capacity, for example. In short, optimizing biomechanically and metabolically is the key to maximizing your running efficiency, which can improve your performance and reduce your risk for injuries<\/a>.<\/p>\n The good news is that all of the above are \u201cmoveable measures,\u201d per Baird. Below, she and Colleen M. Brough<\/a>, DPT, director of Columbia RunLab, share some tips to improve them all.<\/p>\n Better Your Whole Routine <\/p>\n It\u2019s wise to consider all the tenets of training to build running efficiency\u2014and that\u2019s not just your workouts, but also your recovery<\/a> and nutrition<\/a>. You could perfect your form<\/a>, get top-of-the-line shoes<\/a>, and still not be as efficient as possible if you\u2019re not getting your shut-eye and fueling your body properly. <\/p>\n Even some neglect in these domains can have noticeable effects on training, but if extreme, it can also develop into relative energy deficiency in sport (RED-S)<\/a>. \u201cRED-S is common, and it\u2019s where runners are [too] underfueled and under-rested to meet the energy demands of their training,\u201d says Brough. Signs of RED-S include frequent illness, plateauing<\/a> in your training, and mood changes. <\/p>\n Not only will this make you less efficient, but it can also force you onto the sidelines. <\/p>\n Train for Sport-Specific Metabolic Efficiency<\/p>\n \u201cI like to remind people what you train for is what you often get,\u201d says Baird. Take a very well-trained sprinter versus a very well-trained marathon runner<\/a>, for example. The latter trains their body to use fats and conserve glycogen so they don\u2019t have to replace as many carbs<\/a> while running (which is more efficient!). The former, however, can tap into readily available carb stores when they push their intensity<\/a>, which they only do for seconds or minutes at a time.<\/p>\n While eating a well-balanced diet helps with overall health, and therefore, helping you perform<\/a> at your best, it\u2019s not as simple as eating carbs before a sprint and fats before a long run<\/a> in terms of metabolic efficiency. \u201cIn general what you eat is not going to have a full bearing on how your physiology works\u2014it\u2019s actually the training that makes you more metabolically efficient,\u201d Baird explains.<\/p>\n In general, if your goal is to become a more efficient runner (whether you run 5Ks<\/a> or marathons<\/a>), Baird says that incorporating a high volume (about 80 to 90 percent) of steady-state easy to moderate runs<\/a> (that\u2019s those runs that fall around a five or a six out of 10 in terms of effort) in your routine can help your body to be better able to use fat, and be more efficient. <\/p>\n Enhance Your Aerobic Capacity<\/p>\n Your aerobic capacity is also known as your VO2 max<\/a>, and simply put, it\u2019s a measure of how much oxygen you use during exercise. The higher your aerobic capacity, the more efficient you\u2019ll be as a runner. That\u2019s why the other 10 to 20 percent of your training should be high-quality, high-intensity workouts<\/a> to challenge the \u201chardware of the heart,\u201d says Baird. \u201cThat\u2019s going to stimulate a cascade of adaptation both hormonally as well as structurally,\u201d upping your aerobic capacity and helping you be more efficient. <\/p>\n Indeed: meta-analysis of studies<\/a> has shown that HIIT workouts<\/a> can yield a similar or even greater increase in VO2 max compared to more moderate-intensity exercise, even if you do less HIIT training. To get more specific, in one small 2018 study<\/a> in Physiological Reports, just one session of high-intensity exercise was enough to increase growth hormone in women. And in a trial<\/a> published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise in 2014, researchers found that HIIT resulted in increased oxygen delivery. <\/p>\n While you could incorporate literal sprints<\/a> into your routine, longer interval and hill work<\/a> count toward improving your aerobic capacity, too, per Baird. And in fact, Baird doesn\u2019t recommend jumping right into sprints as the risk of injury is higher when you\u2019re not properly conditioned to execute them. <\/p>\n Ease your way into speedwork with drills, like faster strides<\/a> in between more moderate-paced running, or try running six to 10 60-second intervals<\/a> at your max pace followed by 60 seconds of recovery. Don\u2019t Neglect (Lower-Body) Strength Training<\/p>\n Strength training<\/a> helps to refine some of the muscle tendon properties that help with lowering the cost of a certain pace on your body, Baird explains. In other words, it helps you sustain a particular pace with less effort thanks to factors like your muscles being able to generate more force and power, and recruit muscle fibers<\/a> more effectively.<\/p>\n In fact, in a 2021 study<\/a> in the International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, triathletes who strength trained in addition to their endurance program saw significant improvements in cycling and running economy<\/a>, while those who only did endurance training did not.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we can make the muscles involved in [running] really strong, then we have a better chance of performing well,\u201d Baird says. That means focusing on the glutes<\/a> (the gluteus medius in particular), quads, hamstrings, ankles, and calves.<\/p>\n Stabilize Your Hips for Efficiency<\/p>\n Another perk of training your glutes is that doing so can help shore up your hip stability. \u201cStrength training the primary stabilizers<\/a> around the hip and pelvis (with moves like bird dogs and clam shells) is one component of efficiency,\u201d says Brough. <\/p>\n \u201cHip stability is key for efficiency,\u201d seconds Baird. <\/p>\n A lack of it is often the culprit for runners with a lot of side-to-side motion when they run, which Baird says is an \u201cenergy leak\u201d as it costs you more oxygen and calories than form that involves more forward motion. (Film yourself running<\/a> on a treadmill from straight ahead to see if you can notice your hips drop, rotation, or side-to-side movement.) Working to strengthen your trunk and hips can help improve stability<\/a> and therefore reduce the energy leak, Baird says. <\/p>\n This also helps preserve form and efficiency lower down the kinetic chain. \u201cConsider how much energy is lost to unwind medial collapse,\u201d says Brough, referring to when the knees<\/a> \u201ccave in\u201d while running, often due to a lack of stability and strength in and around the hips and core<\/a>. \u201cIn this case, the knee and pelvis both travel inward, and have less efficiency when trying to drive the runner forward than if normal alignment was maintained throughout,\u201d Brough says. <\/p>\n Mobilize Your Ankles for Efficiency<\/p>\n Ankle joint stiffness is another culprit when it comes to a lack of running efficiency, Brough says. A lack of ankle mobility<\/a> can affect how much force your body absorbs when you land, as well as how much work the other muscles and joints (like the calves and lower back) need to do in order to propel your forward. <\/p>\n Lean In With Your Posture<\/p>\n \u201cRunners who overstride<\/a> tend to have less hip extension<\/a> as they push off the leg that\u2019s on the ground, which results in early heel rise and what we term increased vertical excursion or vaulting,\u201d Brough says. \u201cThese runners lose a ton of energy to up and down movement instead of all energy driving them forward.\u201d <\/p>\n To self-ID this one, Brough suggests filming yourself on the treadmill<\/a> from a side angle and looking for more than 7 centimeters of up and down movement, which would be considered \u201ca lot.\u201d (This would admittedly be tricky to ID without pro help!)<\/p>\n Luckily, the solve for this could be as simple as thinking about leaning slightly forward while running, which has the added benefit of helping to activate your glutes, Brough says. \u201cWe know that a little bit of forward lean<\/a> tends to help with that forward propulsion because your body\u2019s going to go with momentum,\u201d adds Baird. \u201cThink about a sprinter, they\u2019re leaning almost horizontal when they start because it\u2019s going to give them an advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Baird notes some of her clients feel as if they\u2019re going to fall forward when she gives them this cue, so if you\u2019re having trouble making that mind-muscle connection<\/a>, it may be worthwhile to work with a run coach<\/a>.<\/p>\n Another pro tip from Baird: Work on alleviating tight hip flexors<\/a>, as this can prevent overstriding (and potentially other form issues) in the first place. <\/p>\n The Magic in Upping Your Cadence<\/p>\n \u201cIf you have a really slow cadence<\/a> and you\u2019re spending a lot more time on the ground than you are moving yourself forward, that\u2019s another area where people sometimes have an energy leak,\u201d says Baird. \u201cGenerally, it is recommended to run around 170 to 180 steps per minute to start and, from there, you can assess if further changes should be made by working with a run coach or clinician who specializes in running biomechanics<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n Many smartwatches<\/a> are able to calculate your cadence for you. So pay attention to those numbers after a run to see if it\u2019s something you could work on.<\/p>\n Consider Some Carbon-Plated Shoes<\/p>\n Many runners are looking to carbon-plated shoes<\/a> to improve their running economy these days, and for good reason. \u201cThere is a lot of talk about how the shoe can make the landing mechanics a little bit better in that you\u2019re not going to use as much energy when you land,\u201d Baird explains, adding that the shoe takes away from what the muscles have to do. In fact, research shows<\/a> that there\u2019s a physiological benefit to running in these so-called \u201csuper shoes<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n
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