The secret to increased run speed? Senior research fellow Dr Steve Preece and his colleagues compared the technique of recreational runners with a 10km PB no better than 38mins for men, 42mins for women, against elite runners with PBs under 32mins men and 36mins women , over a range of track speeds. No, that increased air time — from a more powerful toe-off — stemmed from increased storage of elastic energy in the Achilles tendon during the early phase of the run gait, which paid off during the second half.
Not only did this greater air time result in more speed but the potential for reduced injury as, on landing, the foot was more aligned with the centre of mass. Debbie Graham was the digital editor for Triathlon from Join Active or Sign In. All rights reserved. Go Premium. Need Help? Learn More Customer Login.
Dave Kuehls Runner's World. Share this article. A Goodbye From Cool Running! Are you sure you want to delete this family member? Find activities close to home. Activities near you will have this indicator. Within 2 Miles. Activities near you will have this indicator Within 2 Miles.
To save your home and search preferences Join Active or Sign In. To run economically, good runners must minimize the amount of energy lost with each step. In some ways, running can be considered to be a bit like a bouncing a ball. As it makes contact with the ground, the ball deforms slightly, storing energy which is later released as it flies back into the air. With a bit of practice, anybody can learn to walk and bounce a ball with hardly any effort.
To some extent, this is what highly trained runners manage to achieve. Much like the ball, tendons allow humans to store energy. The main function of a tendon is to connect the muscle to the bone, but because tendons are elastic structures, when muscles contract during running, they stretch, storing energy.
The Achilles tendon is the biggest tendon in the human body, attaching the calf muscle to the heel bone. Body position can also play an important role in maximizing running performance. Our recent research shows that elite athletes tend to run with a more upright body posture than recreational runners, and other research suggests that this body position may lead to better running economy.
Our latest research, although still ongoing, is beginning to show that elite runners tend to place their foot closer to their body as they make contact with the ground. This means that their hip is over their ankle early in the gait cycle, allowing them to generate more force in their calf muscle and so store more energy in their Achilles tendon.
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