See how energy demands change with cadence

A higher cadence is not ALWAYS more efficient.

There is misconception that a higher cadence is always better than a lower cadence.

However, it is important to see this more like the rhythm of music.

Do not see higher or lower cadences as “good” or “bad”, but rather… is this particular cadence appropriate given the circumstance?

While exploring ways to increase a runner’s cadence may be beneficial in certain scenarios, like navigating particular injuries, it is important to understand the nuance behind this.

With the bar graph, you will notice that increasing your cadence may decrease the work on your legs.

However, I also put an overlay of a line graph that reflects metabolic demand based on a study looking at cadence in relation to oxygen consumption.

Slightly increasing step rate/cadence the runner’s preferred cadence by 5% may not cause any increase in metabolic demand, and in certain runners, especially novice runners, there may end up being slightly more efficient.

However, increasing cadence by 10%+ can increase metabolic demand, which would make you fatigue more quickly.

When navigating certain injuries, this trade off is worth it as the limiting factor may be pain in the leg rather than fatigue when running.

It is also important to note that any significant change to your running technique may be slight more fatiguing as you are learning something new.

You are typically most efficient with the technique you practice the most.

So as you dial in these changes to your technique, you may become more efficient.

With this in mind, consider the timeframe of when a race is coming up.

It may not be advantageous to try to change how you run 1 week before a race as significant modifications to your running technique can temporarily make you more inefficient.
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Remember that this is for educational purposes only. If you are navigating an injury, I recommend consulting a healthcare professional for an individualized assessment.

[rickgiganti]

So, why they always tell us to increase cadence?!?