· Runima Team
Running Economy: The 30% of Your Energy You're Leaking
What running economy is, why it can separate two runners with identical VO₂max by minutes, and the science-backed ways to improve yours.
What "economy" actually means
Running economy is your miles per gallon: how much energy it costs you to run at a given pace. Scientists usually measure it as the oxygen you consume while cruising at a set submaximal speed — less oxygen for the same pace means a more economical (more efficient) runner (Barnes & Kilding, 2015). The sharper way to express it is energy cost — calories per kilogram per kilometre — because the same litre of oxygen yields about 7% more energy when you're burning carbohydrate than fat, so fuel mix matters (Saunders et al., 2004).
Here's the part that surprises people: among runners of similar fitness, economy predicts race results better than VO2max does. In a classic study of 12 well-matched 10K runners, economy tracked closely with finish time while VO2max basically didn't (r = −0.12) — the engines were the same size, so efficiency decided the race (Conley & Krahenbuhl, 1980). Combine economy with VO2max (as "velocity at VO2max") and you can explain roughly 94% of the differences in performance over 16 km (Shaw et al., 2015).
Where the energy leaks — and where it's saved
Economy isn't one thing; it's the sum of how efficiently your whole body turns fuel into forward motion. Four systems do most of the work:
Your muscles' efficiency
More mitochondria (the cells' power plants), more slow-twitch fibres, and better oxidative enzymes mean your muscles produce force using less oxygen. This is the part that quietly improves over months and years of aerobic running.
Your tendons are free springs
Every stride, your Achilles tendon and foot arch stretch on landing and snap back at push-off, returning energy your muscles would otherwise have to spend — the Achilles alone is estimated to recycle around a third of the mechanical energy of running (Moore, 2016). Stiffer, springier tendons = cheaper running.
Your stride mechanics
Short ground-contact time, low up-and-down bobbing, and — crucially — your own naturally chosen stride length and cadence are all linked to better economy (Moore, 2016). Your body already self-optimises; forcing a "textbook" form usually backfires.
Your build
Weight matters, but where matters more. Mass on your feet and lower legs is expensive to swing — oxygen cost rises about 1% for every 100 g added per foot (Franz et al., 2012). Slim lower legs are a genuine efficiency advantage.
What actually moves the needle
The encouraging news: most of those systems respond to training. Here's what the evidence supports, strongest first.
Heavy strength training is the headline act. Lifting heavy (near-maximal loads, 2–3× a week) improves economy by roughly 2–8% — not by building bulk, but by making your nervous system and tendons more efficient. A meta-analysis in highly trained runners found a large pooled benefit (Balsalobre-Fernández et al., 2016), and a 2024 review of 38 studies confirmed high loads (>80% of your one-rep max) work best — while light weights essentially don't (Llanos-Lagos et al., 2024). Programs run longer (12–14 weeks) beat shorter ones (Denadai et al., 2017).
Plyometrics — bounding, hopping, jumping — add another ≈2–4% by stiffening that tendon spring. Nine weeks of plyometric work improved economy by 4.1% in already well-trained runners (Saunders et al., 2006). Combine strength and plyometrics and the effect is among the largest available.
Years of consistent mileage is the biggest long-term lever — and the most patient. The textbook example is marathon world-record holder Paula Radcliffe: over roughly a decade her VO2max barely changed, yet her oxygen cost at race pace dropped about 15% (≈1.5% per year), and that is what made her faster (Jones, 2006). Economy keeps improving long after your engine stops growing.
Carbon-plate "super shoes" are the rare instant upgrade: a stiff plate plus springy foam returns energy and improves economy about 4% on average (ranging ≈2–6% between people) (Hoogkamer et al., 2018). And keep everyday trainers reasonably light — remember the ≈1%-per-100 g tax.
Beetroot juice (dietary nitrate) can trim the oxygen cost of running by ≈3–5% — but mostly in less-trained runners; in highly fit athletes the effect largely disappears (Carriker et al., 2016).
Everything ranked: magnitude and timeline
How big is each lever, and how long until you feel it? Bookmark this.
| Lever | Effect on economy | Why it works | How long it takes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy strength training (>80% 1RM) | Improves ≈2–8% | Better neuromuscular efficiency & tendon stiffness | 8–14 weeks |
| Plyometrics (hops, bounds, jumps) | Improves ≈2–4% | Stiffer, springier tendons | 6–9 weeks |
| Strength + plyometrics combined | Among the largest gains | Stacked neuromuscular adaptations | 8–14 weeks |
| Years of aerobic mileage | ≈15% over a decade | More mitochondria, efficient fibres, self-optimised stride | Months to years |
| Carbon-plate super shoes | ≈4% (range 2–6%) | Plate + foam return energy | Instant |
| Lighter shoes | ≈1% per 100 g/shoe | Less mass to swing | Instant |
| Dietary nitrate / beetroot | ≈3–5% (less-trained only) | Lowers O2 cost of muscle contraction | Hours (acute) |
| Extra weight on the feet | Worsens ≈1% per 100 g/foot | More energy to swing the limb | Instant |
| Consciously changing your form | Often worse, short-term | Disrupts your optimised pattern | Negative, acute |
| Forefoot vs heel striking | No reliable difference | — | — |
| More flexibility / static stretching | Neutral to slightly worse | Less elastic energy stored | — |
Myths that quietly waste your time
- "Switch to a forefoot strike." Head-to-head, forefoot striking is not more economical than heel striking — at easy and moderate paces, heel strikers were equal or better, and switching just loads your calf and Achilles more (Gruber et al., 2013).
- "Overhaul your running form." Consciously rebuilding your stride almost always makes you less economical at first, because you're fighting a pattern your body already optimised (Moore, 2016). Let mileage refine it instead.
- "Get more flexible." Less flexible runners are often more economical, because stiffer tendons store and return more spring energy (Craib et al., 1996; Trehearn & Buresh, 2009). And a 2025 meta-analysis found pre-run static stretching has no meaningful effect on economy either way (Warneke et al., 2025).
None of this means form and mobility are worthless — they matter for injury prevention. It means you shouldn't chase them as economy hacks.
Economy across a lifetime
Running economy changes as you age — and the story is more hopeful than most people expect.
| Life stage | What's happening to your economy | What to do about it |
|---|---|---|
| Childhood & teens | Kids are less economical than adults — they breathe more per litre of oxygen and have a busy, high-cadence stride; this improves naturally with maturity, even without training (Krahenbuhl & Williams, 1992) | Don't force technique — let enjoyment and growth do the work |
| 20s–40s | Prime trainable years; mileage and strength compound | Build years of volume; add heavy lifting + plyometrics |
| 50s, 60s & beyond | Well-trained masters runners keep youthful economy — runners over 65 used up to ≈9% less energy than young runners in one study — even as VO2max falls (Beck et al., 2016) | Prioritise strength & plyometrics to fight muscle/tendon stiffening and protect the spring |
The takeaway across ages: because economy is so well preserved while the "engine" fades, strength and plyometric training become more valuable as you get older, not less — they defend the elastic recoil that keeps you efficient.
How to actually track it
You won't feel a 3% economy gain on any single run — and a real change has to clear roughly 2.2–2.6% just to rise above day-to-day measurement noise (Saunders et al., 2004). So judge it the smart way: watch your pace at a given heart rate drift faster over weeks and months.
The takeaway
Your VO2max is the size of your engine — but economy is how much fuel you waste getting that engine down the road, and you can be leaking up to 30% of it compared to an equally-fit rival. The fix isn't exotic: run consistent easy miles for years, lift heavy twice a week, add some bounding, race in light springy shoes, and stop trying to micromanage your stride. Plug the leak, and you get the best kind of speed there is — the free kind.
References
- Barnes KR, Kilding AE. Running economy: measurement, norms, and determining factors. Sports Med Open. 2015;1:8. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4555089/
- Saunders PU, et al. Factors affecting running economy in trained distance runners. Sports Med. 2004;34(7):465–485. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15233599/
- Conley DL, Krahenbuhl GS. Running economy and distance running performance of highly trained athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1980;12(5):357–360. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7453514/
- Shaw AJ, et al. The correlation between running economy and maximal oxygen uptake in highly trained distance runners. PLOS ONE. 2015. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4388468/
- Lucia A, et al. Physiological characteristics of the best Eritrean runners—exceptional running economy. Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006;31(5):530–540. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17111007/
- Moore IS. Is there an economical running technique? A review of modifiable biomechanical factors affecting running economy. Sports Med. 2016;46(6):793–807. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4887549/
- Franz JR, Wierzbinski CM, Kram R. Metabolic cost of running barefoot versus shod: is lighter better? Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2012;44(8):1519–1525. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22367745/
- Balsalobre-Fernández C, Santos-Concejero J, Grivas GV. Effects of strength training on running economy in highly trained runners: a meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2016;30(8):2361–2368. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27249636/
- Denadai BS, et al. Explosive training and heavy weight training are effective for improving running economy in endurance athletes: a meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2017;47(3):545–554. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27497600/
- Llanos-Lagos C, et al. The effect of strength training methods on middle- and long-distance running economy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2024;54(4):895–932. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38165636/
- Saunders PU, et al. Short-term plyometric training improves running economy in highly trained middle- and long-distance runners. J Strength Cond Res. 2006;20(4):947–954. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17149987/
- Hoogkamer W, et al. A comparison of the energetic cost of running in marathon racing shoes (Vaporfly). Sports Med. 2018;48(4):1009–1019. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29143929/
- Carriker CR, et al. Nitrate-containing beetroot juice reduces oxygen consumption during submaximal exercise in low but not high aerobically fit male runners. J Exerc Nutrition Biochem. 2016. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5551075/
- Lansley KE, et al. Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of walking and running. J Appl Physiol. 2011;110(3):591–600. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.01070.2010
- Jones AM. The physiology of the world record holder for the women's marathon (Paula Radcliffe). Int J Sports Sci Coach. 2006;1(2):101–116. https://doi.org/10.1260/174795406777641258
- Gruber AH, et al. Economy and rate of carbohydrate oxidation during running with rearfoot and forefoot strike patterns. J Appl Physiol. 2013;115(2):194–201. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23681915/
- Craib MW, et al. The association between flexibility and running economy in sub-elite male distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996;28(6):737–743. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8784761/
- Trehearn TL, Buresh RJ. Sit-and-reach flexibility and running economy of men and women collegiate distance runners. J Strength Cond Res. 2009;23(1):158–162. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19050648/
- Warneke K, et al. The effects of stretching on running economy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med Open. 2025;11:61. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40442558/
- Krahenbuhl GS, Williams TJ. Running economy: changes with age during childhood and adolescence. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1992;24(4):462–466. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1560744/
- Beck ON, et al. Older runners retain youthful running economy despite biomechanical differences. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2016. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4795964/
This article is for general education and isn't medical advice. If you're new to exercise, older, or managing a health condition, check with a clinician before starting or intensifying a running or strength program.
