What is Running Economy?

One thing you notice when you first take up running is that you become a better runner in a fairly quick amount of time.

You go from never even thinking about running a few miles to running 20+ miles in a week.

How does this happen if VO2 Max and general aerobic gains, take long periods of time to develop?

Well this is where running economy (RE) comes into play. Your body teaches itself to work within the parameters (maximum oxygen intake) you currently have, to make you efficient as personally possible for yourself.

Running economy is all-encompassing, with baseline genetics being a major factor to how you adapt, along with your metabolic, aerobic, mechanical, and neuromuscular systems.

Past athletic endeavors and experience in endurance in general (not just running) will also have a major impact in how efficient your body is when it comes to deploying oxygen.

So what does this all mean?

Let’s dive in!