Running economy (RE)
Running economy refers to the efficiency with which the body utilizes energy during running. This concept is akin to measuring a vehicle's fuel efficiency, where the amount of oxygen consumed during a run indicates how well a runner converts calories from food into energy. It is a crucial factor in determining a runner's performance, along with VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake) and lactate threshold (the point at which lactate accumulates in the muscles).
To assess running economy, tests are typically conducted on a treadmill, where a device measures the runner's oxygen intake and output over a specified distance or duration. Several variables influence running economy, including body size, speed, running stride, and ground contact time. Interestingly, marathon runners tend to have better running economy compared to middle-distance and sprint runners, likely due to the different energy demands of their events.
Runners can enhance their running economy through consistent training that builds muscle efficiency, increasing step frequency, incorporating strength training, and practicing intervals of faster running. Understanding and improving running economy can be beneficial for athletes seeking to optimize their performance in various running disciplines.
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Running economy
Running economy is a concept related to how well the body uses energy while running. It is similar to the way companies measure and report how many miles a car or truck can travel on a tank of gas. Running economy is measured by how much oxygen a person needs to run a certain distance, which in turn is determined by how well the body processes calories.
Overview
Gasoline-powered cars run on combustion engines and need both a fuel source, or gas, and oxygen to allow the gas to burn. This creates a chemical reaction that generates power and allows the car to move. The process in humans is similar.
When a person runs, the muscles need a source of fuel. This comes from the calories a person consumes in food. The calories are turned into energy through the process of metabolism. Metabolism is also a chemical reaction that requires oxygen to occur. The more efficiently the body can breathe in oxygen, the more efficiently it can metabolize food to provide the needed energy to run. Oxygen consumption is measured in VO2, or volume (V) of oxygen (O2).
Running economy is considered to be one of the three main factors in how well a runner will perform. The others are VO2 max, or the maximum amount of oxygen a person uses in exercise, and lactate threshold, or the point at which the body generates lactate—the by-product of exercise that makes muscles feel as if they are burning—faster than the body can remove it. All three factors are important to determining how fast and how far a runner can go.
A person’s running economy is usually measured using a treadmill. The person also uses a device that measures breathing, especially how much oxygen is being used. The person runs on the treadmill for a specified length of time or distance, and measures how much oxygen he or she inhales and exhales during the run. This number, along with the distance and time of the run, are used to determine how much oxygen was used. This can be converted to how many calories are needed to achieve the same run, which provides a measure of the person’s running economy.
Other factors besides speed and distance can affect a person’s running economy. The person’s size is a factor, for instance. Changing speeds will also alter the running economy, as tests have shown that a person does burn more calories to move at a faster pace. The runner’s stride, or the distance covered in a single step of running, can also play a role, as can how long the person’s foot is on the ground during each stride.
Experts say runners can improve their running economy by gradually increasing the amount of running that they do to build more efficient muscle fibers, increasing the number of steps taken per minute, adding strength training to their workout schedule, and doing short intervals of faster running and gradually increasing the number and duration of these intervals.
Bibliography
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