While many Instagram and Reddit gurus will attribute form as the end-all-be-all for running injuries and then proceed to serve up a laundry list of things you an do to fix your form, around here we like to focus on what the science says, and most aspects of form, they’re not it!
However, frequently lumped in with form in conversations, is the topic of running cadence. And that, for some athletes, can be helpful for managing pain and injuries!
What is Running Cadence?
Running cadence is the rate at which a foot hits the ground per minute. It’s a rate that varies between athletes as well as for a single athlete but generally ranges between 150 and 200 steps per minute (spm). For many of us, our smart watches are able to detect our running cadence and will provide that piece of data along with charts to show you how it varies over a run.
Why Does Cadence Matter?
Generally speaking, improved cadence has been correlated with an increase in running economy. But, from a pain and injury perspective, increases in running cadence seem to have the strongest body of evidence as far as adjustments go, to decreasing pain.
Why is There a Decrease in Pain?
When athletes have a faster cadence, the data shows there is also a decreased force load on the leg with each individual step. Meaning, each step you take is a little less hard on your body and requires less muscle, tendon, and bone strength to absorb the step.
Does Increasing Cadence Benefit Everybody?
This is where we get to the world of nuance once again! While generally, it’s a good thing to look at if you’re frequently getting injured or suffering from pain, there are some caveats.
- Some runners might find that the benefit of a decreased load per step, is countered by the increased total number of steps that the athlete takes over the same distance.
- The research indicates that the increase in cadence for injury prevention is likely to most benefit athletes who meet the following criteria:
- Runners with a naturally lower cadence ( <175 spm)
- Gait analysis indicates a benefit due to being prone to over-stride or have a higher level of hip extension.
Getting Started
If you’re in the boat of wanting to increase your cadence, there are a few more things to make sure you know about the process!
- There is not an “ideal” cadence. While the prolific exercise physiologist and run coach Jack Daniels pronounced 180 spm as the “ideal” cadence, his research focused on elite and highly trained athletes. That means that, while THEY had a cadence of 180 spm, that was what was deemed best for a very select subset of the population.
- The guidelines instead focus on making small increases to your current cadence and to then reassess. Look to increase your cadence 5-8% from your natural cadence to see how your body responds. However, even this value is highly variable so be open to adjusting down or up.
- There is an adjustment window. Running economy will take a small dive during initial implementation so be mindful to either decrease running load during implementation or to introduce in small doses to allow the body to adapt.
- Tools for Increasing Cadence. There are a lot of ways to physically work on your cadence. Many watches have a metronome feature (like my Garmin) , there are a lot of playlists you can build with songs that have a specific cadence, as well as physical cues for while you’re running. Some will be more effective than others for you so play around with the different options out there!
- It can be challenging to increase cadence and still run easy. If working on your cadence during easy runs, be mindful of things like breathing, awareness, and strain on your body!
Want to know what form adjustments are worth making? Find it in The Training Club!