Understanding running economy to improve your performance
Why is pacing so important in endurance sports?
Running performance does not solely depend on your VO2 max. While it indicates the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense effort, it does not show how efficiently you exploit this beautiful mechanism. Two runners with a VO2 max that is similar can therefore display different performances. One of the elements that could differentiate them? Their economy of running.
An economical runner requires less energy to maintain a given speed. Over time, this efficiency can help delay the onset of fatigue, better manage effort, and preserve resources.
It notably influences :
your ability to maintain a defined pace,
the energy cost associated with that pace,
your management of effort over time,
your resistance to fatigue.
This link with energy is central: the better your body utilizes the resources it has, the more efficient you can be over time. In fact, running economy is a bit like eco-driving: the goal is not to have a bigger tank, but to go further with what it contains. The principle aligns quite well with that of marginal gains : small optimizations that, when added together, can ultimately make a real difference.
How to measure your running economy?
Running economy can take the form of a very concrete and measurable reality. It is generally assessed based on the oxygen consumption needed to maintain a given sub-maximal speed. This consumption can be related to the runner's weight and time, but also to the distance covered, particularly in milliliters of oxygen per kilogram per kilometer (mL O₂/kg/km). In a scientific or athletic setting, the measurement can be performed on a treadmill at a defined pace, using a device that analyzes respiratory gas exchanges.
The principle is ultimately quite intuitive: the less energy your body needs to maintain the same speed, the better your running economy. This also explains why two runners with relatively similar aerobic capacities can show different performances. Having a big engine is good. Knowing how to use it effectively is better!
Can we evaluate our running economy with a GPS watch?
Our wrists are now capable of providing us with an impressive amount of data: heart rate, cadence, stride length, vertical oscillation, ground contact time… Some equipment also offers an estimate of running economy. This information can be interesting for tracking certain trends over time, but it does not replace a true physiological measurement conducted in a controlled environment.
However, be careful of hasty conclusions. A higher cadence or a lower vertical oscillation does not automatically mean that you have become more economical. Each stride depends notably on the runner's morphology, level, speed, and experience. The magic number that applies to absolutely everyone? Sorry, but it does not exist!
Focus on the factors that influence running economy
Your running economy results from a set of parameters: technique, biomechanics, muscular and neuromuscular qualities, training, morphology, fatigue, or even equipment. All these levers could be the source of unnecessary energy losses, on which it may be relevant to reassess in order to gradually improve your performance.
The running technique
Let's start from the beginning: your way of running. Posture, coordination, cadence, stride length, foot placement, arm movement contribute among other things to the overall mechanics of your running. In other words, certain unnecessary movements can unnecessarily increase the energy cost of your movement. Are your shoulders relaxed, is your gaze directed forward? Are your strides not too wide?
However, it should be noted that there is not necessarily a perfect technique that should be reproduced exactly. Indeed, an artificial modification of your gestures can even prove counterproductive if it is not adapted to your morphology or habits. What you should aim for is a coordinated, fluid, and efficient gesture that can limit unnecessary energy expenditure as much as possible.
But good news: with experience and training, your neuromuscular system learns to better coordinate your movements. In short: by running, your body also becomes better... at running.
Physical and muscular condition
Muscle strengthening and core stability help stabilize your posture and improve force transmission. Yes, Jamy: the complementarity of disciplines is essential for success in running! Muscle strengthening is not reserved for pure performance: it also helps improve your running economy by making each movement more stable and efficient. Regular work on the legs and core helps limit compensations and better absorb impacts.
Again, the recommendations differ according to your level, your morphology, your history, any imbalances, your training load, and your goals. The choice of exercises, their intensity, and their progression must therefore be adapted to each runner, ideally with the support of a professional. The goal is not to always do more, but to develop the qualities that are truly relevant to your practice, without injuring yourself along the way.
A little point on “breath management during effort”? Feel free to read our article “improving your breathing while running” !
The training volume and the experience of the runner
With consistency, your body adapts to the specific constraints of running. Coordination, muscle recruitment, metabolic capacities, and movement can thus evolve gradually. This is also why a beginner may notice relatively rapid progress: their body still has a good margin for adaptation. For an experienced runner, seeking a few additional gains often requires more time and precision.
Varying paces to develop your abilities
Running economy can also evolve with the adaptations caused by training. Depending on your level and the goal you are preparing for, different intensities can find their place in your programming: fundamental endurance, specific pace work, more intense sessions…
For example, training at a pace close to that aimed for in competition can help your body become more familiar with the mechanical and physiological constraints associated with that speed. But once again, that doesn’t mean you should copy the training week of a elite marathoner: guaranteed bad strategy, since you probably don’t have the same training history or the same recovery capabilities.
Can shoes improve running economy?
Let’s talk about equipment ! When we talk about running economy today, we inevitably think of shoes. The weight, geometry, stiffness, and properties of the materials used can change the way a shoe interacts with the runner. Models equipped with particularly responsive foams and, for some, rigid plates, especially carbon ones, have significantly contributed to popularizing the concept of running economy.
Depending on the models and the runners, certain technologies can reduce the energy cost associated with a given pace. But before you whip out your credit card, remember that equipment does not replace training! A shoe must primarily be suited to your practice, your feelings, and your individual characteristics. The pair that makes your training partner fly may not have the same effect on you.
Nutrition and running economy: the detailed report!
It’s impossible to talk about energy without mentioning nutrition… especially since sports nutrition is the specialty of Baouw ! Certainly, eating balanced and thoughtfully will not magically change your biomechanics and directly improve your running economy.
On the other hand, your body needs fuel to produce and maintain effort. Depending on its intensity and its duration, it mobilizes different energy resources, notably carbohydrates and fats. An appropriate nutritional strategy will therefore help you have the necessary resources to support your effort and prevent a lack of fuel from hastening the decline of your performance. Even the most economical engine in the world eventually stops when the tank is empty!
Managing your energy reserves obviously becomes more important as the duration of the effort increases. And since the needs of a 10 km are not the same as those of an ultra, we strongly advise you to read our guides dedicated to :
Running economy and recovery: in search of the perfect balance
Running economy is not only played out while you run: fatigue can also affect your efficiency. As it sets in, your ability to coordinate your movements and maintain your form may deteriorate. A usually comfortable pace can then gradually become more costly. That’s why recovery is fully part of the equation: consistent training load, sufficient sleep and appropriate nutrition allow your body to recover optimally between two demands.
After intense training, nutrition particularly contributes to the replenishment of your energy reserves. So, after exertion, prepare plates designed to replenish your glycogen stores, treat yourself to one of our recovery drinks and happily grab a snack that is rich in antioxidants to limit oxidative stress related to training.
Running economy, VO2 max, and VMA: what’s the difference?
VO2 max, VMA, running economy… With so many acronyms and concepts piling up, your run will soon require a master's in physiology. So, we simplify the concept for you in this paragraph!
The VO2 max corresponds to the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can use during intense effort.
The VMA, or maximum aerobic speed, corresponds to the running speed at which your oxygen consumption reaches approximately its maximum.
The running economy, on the other hand, focuses on the energy cost required to run at a given speed.
These indicators therefore describe different components of performance. For example, you can have an excellent VO2 max but have a running economy that can be improved.
And in endurance, performance results precisely from the combination of many factors.
The running economy in a nutshell: “run better to go further”
Do more with less: this is ultimately a pretty good way to summarize running economy. The goal is to limit the energy cost necessary to maintain a given pace. And contrary to what its name might suggest, it does not depend on a single parameter. Aerobic capacities, biomechanics, neuromuscular coordination, musculo-tendinous properties, experience, training, equipment, and fatigue all contribute, in their own way, to your efficiency.
That said, there's no question of wanting to change everything overnight. Your body has its own way of running and interesting adaptations are built over time. If you are just starting out or have just returned to running, consistency can already offer you a nice margin for improvement. If you are an experienced runner, the gains will probably be more subtle and will require more patience. But this is precisely where our famous marginal gains become interesting.
So no, the secret is not necessarily to always spend more energy to go faster. Start by learning to use better what you have… and save a little for enjoying the rest of your day!