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Improving your running economy & efficiency in 5 minutes

  • scottrichardsonpt
  • May 21
  • 2 min read

This ressearch paper produced (link below), shows a quick and simple appication that can drasticallly improve running economy.


  • Running candiates were asked to do a few minutes of hopping each day (progressive build up of sets for a 10 secs duration) over a 6 week period.

  • Running Candiates were asked to keep there feet hip width apart and hop as high as they can, while keeping their knees as stiff as possible, while also driving off the floor as quick as possible.

  • It was seen that the running candiates, running ecomomy and respiratory exchange ratios, improved compared to the candiates who did not hop. Plus it did not interfere with there running traning.


The study does have some limitations howvever, it was only conducted on mostly middle aged, amatetur runners, and so we dont know if it is as effective in other runners of different ages, or how it would effect professional runners interms of further development of there already effeicent running ecomomy.






Also researched & provided by Adam Meakins - The Sports Physio (on Instagram page)

Reference:


Randomized Controlled Trial

Sci Rep




. 2023 Mar 13;13(1):4167.

doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-30798-3.

Progressive daily hopping exercise improves running economy in amateur runners: a randomized and controlled trial

Affiliations expand

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of a daily plyometric hopping intervention on running economy (RE) in amateur runners. In a randomized, controlled trial, thirty-four amateur runners (29 ± 7 years, 27 males) were allocated to a control or a hopping exercise group. During the six-week study, the exercise group performed 5 min of double-legged hopping exercise daily. To progressively increase loading, the number of hopping bouts (10 s each) was steadily increased while break duration between sets was decreased. Pre- and post-intervention, RE, peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), and respiratory exchange ratio (RER) were measured during 4-min stages at three running speeds (10, 12, and 14 km/h). ANCOVAs with baseline values and potential cofounders as cofactors were performed to identify differences between groups. ANCOVA revealed an effect of hopping on RE at 12 km/h (df = 1; F = 4.35; p < 0.05; η2 = 0.072) and 14 km/h (df = 1; F = 6.72; p < 0.05; η2 = 0.098), but not at 10 km/h (p > 0.05). Exercise did not affect VO2peak (p > 0.05), but increased RER at 12 km/h (df = 1; F = 4.26; p < 0.05; η2 = 0.059) and 14 km/h (df = 1; F = 36.73; p < 0.001; η2 = 0.520). No difference in RER was observed at 10 km/h (p > 0.05). Daily hopping exercise is effective in improving RE at high running speeds in amateurs and thus can be considered a feasible complementary training program.Clinical trial registration German Register of Clinical Trials (DRKS00017373).

 
 
 

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