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As a runner who is eager to search out tactics to run higher and assist others to do the similar, I’ve ceaselessly contemplated the query – what’s the best method to run?
New analysis from Bas Van Hooren and co-workers in Sports activities Medication has attempted to respond to this by way of finishing a scientific evaluation and meta-analysis. They incorporated 51 research with 1115 runners!
What did they to find?
The next step price (cadence) and better vertical stiffness and leg stiffness had been related to decrease power value/ higher operating financial system. Lowered vertical oscillation and trunk flexion may additionally assist potency. Better knee flexion in swing is ceaselessly inspired by way of coaches however might in fact be related to poorer operating financial system!
We’ve summarised their findings at other levels within the operating gait cycle within the photographs beneath (tailored from Van Hooren et al. 2024):
How may we follow this clinically?
Runners with a low step price (e.g. lower than 175) might take pleasure in a small build up (e.g. 3 to eight%), which will also be completed by way of operating to the beat of a metronome or track. This will assist deal with over-striding (which is believed to cut back potency) and toughen leg stiffness and scale back vertical oscillation. Encouraging a extra upright trunk place might assist potency too.
Power coaching and/or plyometrics may additionally assist operating financial system by way of expanding decrease limb stiffness.
Runners are ceaselessly recommended to change to forefoot strike to toughen potency however this evaluation concluded that operating financial system didn’t considerably range between rearfoot or midfoot/forefoot strikers. Expanding knee flexion throughout swing may be often urged however this can be related to worse operating financial system and better power value.
This displays that we want to be cautious of a one-size-fits-all all means – suggestions will have to be in accordance with particular person overview and desires.
Runners ceaselessly actually price gait evaluation and recommendation on bettering their methodology so we’ve an in depth module dedicated to it in Operating Upkeep On-line. To find out extra about our on-line direction and the way it is going to can help you get nice effects with injured runners right here.
A couple of issues to imagine…
The associations between biomechanics and financial system had been ceaselessly small to reasonable and, in some circumstances, had been non-significant or ‘trivial’. There’s additionally restricted proof that biomechanical adjustments result in progressed efficiency.
Converting operating gait takes effort which is able to come at a metabolic value (particularly to begin with) so any advantages want to outweigh those prices to toughen financial system/ potency.
There’s a number of nice element within the paper so I’d extremely suggest studying this open get admission to evaluation. Right here’s the hyperlink https://hyperlink.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40279-024-01997-3