Key takeaways
Running economy is the oxygen you use at a given submaximal speed, and lower is better
Among runners with similar VO2max, economy explained about 65% of the differences in 10 km times in one classic study
Heavy strength training and plyometrics improved economy by about 4 to 5% in trained runners within 8 to 9 weeks
VO2max is the size of your engine. Running economy is its fuel efficiency: how much oxygen you need to hold a given pace. With VO2max and lactate threshold, it is one of the three main determinants of distance running performance.
What running economy means
Running economy is the energy demand of running at a given submaximal speed, usually measured as steady-state oxygen uptake (Saunders et al., 2004). It can be expressed two ways:
- ml/kg/min at a set speed, the classic lab measure;
- ml/kg/km, the oxygen cost per kilometre, which lets you compare across speeds.
To convert, divide by speed in km per minute. A runner using 45 ml/kg/min at 12 km/h (0.2 km per minute) costs 225 ml/kg/km. Lower is better.
Why it matters: in a classic study of 12 highly trained runners with similar VO2max (about 72 ml/kg/min), VO2max did not predict 10 km time, but running economy explained 65.4% of the variation in race performance (Conley and Krahenbuhl, 1980). Among similar athletes, the more economical runner usually wins. That is also why VO2max alone is an incomplete fitness score; see what limits VO2max.
What determines it
Running economy reflects metabolic, cardiorespiratory, biomechanical and neuromuscular factors together (Barnes and Kilding, 2015). The main ones:
- Muscle and tendon properties. Stiffer tendons and stronger muscles store and return more elastic energy.
- Mechanics. A review of modifiable factors found lower vertical oscillation, greater leg stiffness and a stride close to your preferred length were linked with better economy, but warned against prescribing one "economical technique" for everyone (Moore, 2016).
- Training history. Accumulated running volume is thought to be a major factor.
- Body mass and shoes. Carrying less mass, including lighter shoes, lowers the cost of each stride. See VO2max and body weight.
Runners are good at self-optimising. When stride length was varied by up to 20% of leg length, every runner had an optimum, and freely chosen strides were very close to it, costing on average only 0.2 ml/kg/min more (Cavanagh and Williams, 1982). That is a warning against big, forced changes in form; small changes in running cadence are a different matter.
Running economy improvement
The best-studied ways to improve economy in trained runners:
| Method | Study | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy strength (half-squats, 4 × 4, 3 times a week) | Støren et al., 2008 | Economy improved 5.0% in 8 weeks, with no change in VO2max or body weight |
| Plyometrics (3 × 30 min a week) | Saunders et al., 2006 | Economy improved 4.1% at 18 km/h after 9 weeks, but not at 14 or 16 km/h |
| Explosive strength replacing 32% of training | Paavolainen et al., 1999 | Economy and 5 km time improved in 9 weeks, VO2max unchanged |
| Consistent endurance training | Barnes and Kilding, 2015 (review) | Training history and volume suggested as key factors |
The practical message is to lift heavy, with few reps, and add jumps. Our guide to strength training for runners has a full twice-weekly routine. Barnes and Kilding also note uphill and level intervals as common prescriptions, and altitude as a possible aid.
Easy running counts too: as economy improves, the same easy heart rate gives a faster pace, which shows up on the easy run pace chart and on your long runs.
Running economy on Garmin
Garmin added a Running Economy metric with the Forerunner 970 and the HRM 600 chest strap. According to Garmin's manual and blog:
- It is reported in ml of oxygen per kg per km; lower values mean less energy used.
- It needs several outdoor or track runs recorded with an accessory that measures step speed loss, how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground, such as the HRM 600. Garmin says at least 4 to 5 runs are needed for a first estimate.
- It combines your profile, run history, heart rate, speed and running dynamics (cadence, stride length, ground contact time, vertical oscillation) plus step speed loss.
- It works best with easy runs of at least 30 minutes on flat ground; indoor and trail runs are not used. Accurate height and weight settings matter.
- Results are shown on a colour-coded seven-level scale.
What is unclear: the metric is an estimate, since no oxygen is measured, and Garmin has not published a validation against lab measurements that we could find. Use it as a trend within your own data, not as a number to compare with a lab test or other runners. The same caution applies to the watch's VO2max; see Garmin VO2max explained and how accurate is your watch's VO2max.
Running economy test
- Lab test. On a treadmill with gas analysis, you run several stages of about 4 to 5 minutes at fixed speeds below your threshold, so oxygen uptake reaches a steady state. Saunders et al. (2006), for example, used three 4-minute stages at 14, 16 and 18 km/h. Many labs add this to a VO2max test; see VO2max tests explained.
- Field proxy. Run the same flat course at a fixed pace in similar conditions every few weeks and note your average heart rate. A lower heart rate at the same pace suggests better fitness, economy or both; it cannot separate them.
Your paces at each intensity are easiest to set with the VO2max running calculator and the heart rate zone calculator.
Safety: add plyometrics and heavy lifting gradually, with good technique, and get advice if you have joint pain or a heart condition.
Frequently asked questions
What is running economy?
The amount of oxygen, or energy, you need to run at a given submaximal speed. It is measured as steady-state oxygen uptake, in ml/kg/min at a set speed or ml/kg/km per distance. Two runners with the same VO2max can race very differently if one is more economical.
How can I improve my running economy?
Keep running consistently over years, and add heavy strength training and plyometrics two or three times a week. In trained runners, heavy half-squats improved economy by 5% in 8 weeks and plyometrics by about 4% at fast speeds in 9 weeks.
What is running economy on Garmin?
A Garmin estimate, in ml of oxygen per kg per km, available on watches such as the Forerunner 970 with a compatible chest strap such as the HRM 600. It uses heart rate, speed, running dynamics and step speed loss from easy outdoor runs. Garmin has not published, as far as we could find, how closely it matches lab tests.
How do you do a running economy test?
In a lab, you run several 4 to 5 minute stages at fixed speeds below threshold on a treadmill while your oxygen uptake is measured. At home, a rough proxy is your heart rate at a fixed pace on the same flat course, tracked over weeks.
Sources
- Saunders PU, Pyne DB, Telford RD, Hawley JA. Factors affecting running economy in trained distance runners. Sports Med, 2004.
- Conley DL, Krahenbuhl GS. Running economy and distance running performance of highly trained athletes. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1980.
- Barnes KR, Kilding AE. Strategies to improve running economy. Sports Med, 2015.
- Moore IS. Is there an economical running technique? A review of modifiable biomechanical factors affecting running economy. Sports Med, 2016.
- Cavanagh PR, Williams KR. The effect of stride length variation on oxygen uptake during distance running. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 1982.
- Støren Ø, Helgerud J, Støa EM, Hoff J. Maximal strength training improves running economy in distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2008.
- Saunders PU, et al. Short-term plyometric training improves running economy in highly trained middle and long distance runners. J Strength Cond Res, 2006.
- Paavolainen L, et al. Explosive-strength training improves 5-km running time by improving running economy and muscle power. J Appl Physiol, 1999.
- Garmin. Forerunner 970 owner's manual: Running Economy; and Garmin blog, a full introduction to the Running Economy feature, 2025.