Running Economy

Don’t you think it would be a great idea to train ourselves in such a way that, We enjoy our runs, keep ourselves fit & healthy and run forever?

Athletics is not so much about the legs.

It’s about the heart and mind," Kipchoge once said.

It’s easy to track the miles you run, the hours you cycle and the calories you burn. You can even check your heart rate along the way. But how do you know if your efforts are taking you in the right direction? It’s vital to know, how your workouts influence your body. 

The relationship between activity and outcome isn't always the same. Similar runs can produce different results depending on your fitness level, training history and even your training environment. I don't have to train so hard, to run a sub 4 full marathon. I don't go to gym but still I have a strong shoulder and bicep. Sometime even genetics also play a vital role in our overall fitness. If you are quite fit, a 25 min 5k run is a good warm up, as a novice, it might knock your socks off.

Most people assume there is a very simple direct relationship between physical activity and calories burned per day. People who start exercising stop losing weight after a few months? All signs point to the body getting used to exercise after certain point.

Proof: One study published in the journal of applied physiology determined that, Well trained runner’s burn five to seven percent fewer calories than their nonathletic counterparts. That drop in calories spent signifies an increase in running economy, because fewer calories lost better trained you are.  That means seasoned runners burn fewer calories than newbie’s.

What is running economy? How to improve the running economy?  

Economically means using our resources carefully. Isn’t it?

Steady state of oxygen consumption at a given velocity (speed), which is often referred as running economy. Runners with a good running economy use less oxygen than runners with poor economy. Most of the runners strive to run faster & better. The Running economy benefits any runner but especially important for marathoners and ultra marathoners.

As you become more efficient in running, your body needs less energy ( i.e calories ) to run at the same pace. The better economy you have the faster or further you’ll be able to go with less effort. Improved running efficiency – Running economy, could help to improve a runner’s mechanics, contribute to improved performance, and decrease risk of injuries.

Example: We take an example of a task to be performed by person A 
and person B. A & B pushing a big wooden log on a flat surface for one meter. Now the energy systems required to do this job are

1. Creatine phosphate 

2. Anaerobic energy 

3. Aerobic energy.

To initiate the process one has to first displace the log from the static position. And then work against gravity and the weight of the log. Energy is required to displace the log across one meter ( per unit of oxygen consumed per unit of weight of the person). 

Now Person A has good work efficiency, will give a good jerk and sustain the displacement with good force and will finish the job in the shortest. He uses all the three energy systems in a balanced manner to get the work done by using least energy and oxygen and time and that is why he is more economical.

Person B does the same job, takes a longer time and is less economical.

In running also the same philosophy holds good. Two runners running 10km, one requires more energy and more time other less energy less time.

More economical running pattern especially in long distance running could make a big difference in performance. Running economy is believed to be influenced by several key biomechanical factors including, Stride length, Stride frequency, Ground Contact Time, Vertical motion of the body during the stride, running posture, Learn to maintain steady pace, Increase mileage, Strength Training for runners, follow Smarter and efficient training programs.

One can’t follow someone else's training program, it has to be customized as per individual’s statistics. If that is the case everyone would have become Usain Bolt or Eliud Kipchoge.

Having a customized training program is one thing, how to run following the program is another thing. Learning the basic technicality of running is very crucial.  If you didn’t learn these, initial stages of your running, then now you have to unlearn to learn the right way.   

Moral of the story is: If you are a novice or an experienced runner & want to analyse your running data, guidance to improve you’re running economy, want a customised running plan and want to learn the basics of running economy, and then please get in touch with Satish Gujaran 😃

 

Stay Tuned for my upcoming articles...

• Factors that determining your running economy
• Energy mechanism while running 
• How running slow can eventually help you run faster 
• The Impact of running form