Running Economy: What It Is and How to Improve It

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Running economy is the amount of energy (specifically oxygen) your body uses to run at a given pace. A runner with good running economy uses less oxygen at 6:00/km than a runner with poor running economy. This matters because it determines how fast you can run before hitting the limits of your aerobic system.

Two runners with identical VO2 max (maximum oxygen uptake) can have very different race times if one has significantly better running economy. Elite runners consistently show higher running economy than recreational runners, and improving economy is one of the most effective ways intermediate runners can improve their race times without changing anything about their raw fitness.

Why Running Economy Matters

Think of running economy like fuel efficiency in a car. Two cars with the same engine size can have different fuel consumption depending on their weight, tyre pressure, air resistance, and mechanical efficiency. Running economy is your body’s equivalent — it reflects how efficiently you convert metabolic energy into forward movement.

For most recreational runners, improvements in running economy occur naturally as you run more and your body adapts. But there are specific training interventions that accelerate the process.

What Contributes to Running Economy

Neuromuscular efficiency: How well your nervous system coordinates the muscle firing patterns required for running. More efficient coordination means less energy wasted on muscle activation that doesn’t contribute directly to forward movement.

Muscle-tendon stiffness: Your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia function like springs, storing energy during foot strike and releasing it during toe-off. Stiffer, more elastic tendons return more energy with each step. This is why barefoot-trained runners and well-conditioned distance runners typically have good running economy — tendon stiffness increases with training.

Running form: Overstriding, excessive vertical oscillation (bouncing up and down), and tension in the upper body all represent wasted energy that doesn’t contribute to forward movement. Better form = better economy.

Lactate threshold: At paces below your lactate threshold, your muscles run efficiently on aerobic energy. Above it, they increasingly rely on less efficient anaerobic pathways. Raising your lactate threshold means you can run faster before this inefficiency kicks in.

Fatigue: As you fatigue, running form deteriorates and running economy drops. Better conditioning delays this.

How to Improve Running Economy

1. Strength training — particularly lower body and plyometrics

This is the most consistently supported intervention for improving running economy in recreational runners. Research shows that 6–8 weeks of strength training alongside regular running improves running economy by 2–8% in untrained to moderately trained runners. The mechanisms: stronger muscles generate force more efficiently; plyometric training specifically improves tendon stiffness and elastic energy return.

What to do:
– Heavy strength work (2x per week): Squats, deadlifts, and single-leg Romanian deadlifts. Not high-rep light-weight work — heavier loads (4–6 reps) develop the neuromuscular efficiency that transfers best to running economy.
– Plyometrics (1x per week): Calf raises (progressing to single-leg), bounding, hopping, and short box jumps. Start conservatively to avoid overloading the Achilles tendon if you’re new to this.

2. Strides

Strides are 20–30 second accelerations to near-maximum pace, followed by full recovery. Including 4–6 strides at the end of an easy run, 2–3 times per week, trains neuromuscular efficiency at speeds your long slow runs never reach. This is one of the lowest-risk, highest-return interventions for improving running economy.

How to do them: after completing your easy run, run 4–6 accelerations of 80–100m, gradually picking up to about 95% pace by the middle of the stride, then decelerating. Walk back to the start, fully recovering between each one.

3. Tempo running

Running at lactate threshold pace (roughly “comfortably hard” — you can speak in short phrases) improves the pace at which your aerobic system can operate efficiently. A weekly tempo run of 20–40 minutes directly improves running economy at race paces.

4. Increase mileage gradually

Running more — gradually and with recovery built in — is the baseline on which all other economy improvements sit. More mileage develops aerobic conditioning, neuromuscular efficiency, and tendon stiffness simultaneously. A runner who doubles their weekly mileage over 12 months will see economy improvements from mileage alone, even without specific sessions.

5. Work on form

Reducing overstriding (landing with your foot directly under your hip rather than far in front), limiting excessive vertical oscillation, and relaxing your upper body all reduce wasted energy. See our guide to running form for specifics.

Shoes and Running Economy

Carbon-plated racing shoes (Nike Vaporfly, Adidas Adizero Adios Pro, New Balance FuelCell SuperComp) have been shown to improve running economy by 2–4% compared to traditional racing flats. The carbon plate and maximally cushioned foam store and return energy at toe-off, effectively doing some of the work your tendons would otherwise do.

This is measurable and real — but it’s also at a margin that most recreational runners won’t notice at slower paces and doesn’t substitute for the adaptations that come from training. They’re worth considering for race day if you’re targeting a time-specific goal, but they’re not a route to the economy improvements that strength training and increased mileage provide.

Summary

Running economy is your body’s efficiency at converting oxygen into forward movement — and it’s trainable at every experience level:

1. Add strength training twice a week — squats, deadlifts, and single-leg work improve running economy more reliably than any other single intervention
2. Add strides 2–3x per week — 4–6 strides at the end of an easy run costs 5 minutes and provides a consistent neuromuscular efficiency stimulus
3. Include a weekly tempo run — 20–40 minutes at comfortably hard pace raises the speed at which your aerobic system operates efficiently
4. Gradually increase mileage — more running, done carefully, naturally improves economy over time
5. Work on form — particularly eliminating overstriding and reducing excessive vertical bounce

Next read: Running form tips to improve efficiency for beginners