Plyometrics improve running economy and performance
Adding plyometric training to a distance runner's program improves running economy and time-trial performance, with the magnitude similar to heavy resistance training.
In plain English
After 6 to 11 weeks of two sessions a week, runners use 4 to 8 percent less energy at the same pace. Their 3K to 5K race times drop 2 to 3 percent. Jumping drills work whether you do them on one leg or two. Pick what your body and injury history can handle.
Why it works
Increased tendon and musculotendinous stiffness, improved stretch-shortening-cycle efficiency, better neural drive to fast-twitch fibers. Not cardiovascular.
What it means in practice
Plyometric work (e.g., bounding, hopping, depth jumps, plyometric variations of squats) belongs in a runner's supplementary training. It can substitute for some traditional resistance work or complement it. Plans for runners chasing time-trial improvement that include neither plyometrics nor heavy strength have a real gap.
The evidence
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Strength training programs combining low-to-high intensity resistance exercises and plyometric exercises, performed 2-3 times per week over 8-12 weeks, are an effective strategy for improving running economy in highly trained middle- and long-distance runners. The authors note that despite supporting evidence, strength training has historically been overlooked by long-distance runners — referencing data showing that 2008 US Olympic Marathon Trials runners included little strength training, with nearly half doing no strength training at all.
n=93
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Bilateral and unilateral plyometric training are equally effective at enhancing distance running performance and running economy. Bilateral plyometric training (BPT) may be safer due to reduced injury risk associated with the bilateral force deficit. The recommendation: coaches should plan periodized BPT programs that emphasize high volume and low intensity exercises to optimize performance in recreationally trained distance runners, particularly when injury risk is a concern.
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Both intermittent sprint training and plyometric training improved 10K running performance even when total training mileage was reduced during the intervention period. Plyometric training is effective at improving running performance up to 5K. The implication: targeted high-quality supplementary training (sprint + plyo) can produce performance gains without requiring increased volume — an important practical finding for runners constrained by time or recovery capacity.
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Several specific findings emerge for runners. (1) Foot-ankle strengthening (Taddei 2020) reduced running injury rate by 2.42-fold versus controls in recreational runners over 12 months. (2) In military cohorts, resistance exercise at least 3 times per week was associated with 54% lower running-injury risk versus those doing none or less than once weekly. (3) Six weeks of neuromuscular training (jumping, landing, strength, endurance, agility, trunk) reduced injury incidence in track and field, particularly MTSS (p=0.012). (4) Trail-runner injury risk factors include: less running experience, neglecting warm-ups, having no specialized running plan, training on asphalt, and double daily training sessions. (5) Inadequate running technique and poor neuromuscular control are key mechanisms alongside training-load issues — more than 70% of running injuries are overuse in nature.
Why we call confidence high
Multiple RCTs (Greenwood 2020, Lum 2016) and systematic reviews (Balsalobre-Fernández 2016, Šuc 2022) show consistent gains in running economy and 3-10K time-trial performance after 6-12 weeks of plyometric training.
Where it applies
Recreational to well-trained adult distance runners.
Does not apply to: runners returning from lower-extremity bone or tendon injury without clearance; very early-stage beginners (< 3 months running).
Plans that respect this
Plans that scored well on the rubric measures informed by this claim.
- 10-Week Run Your First 10k (3 days)
- 10-Week Run Your First 10k (4 days)
- 10-Week Run Your First Half Marathon (3 days)
- 10-Week Run Your First Half Marathon (4 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:30 Half Marathon (4 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:30 Half Marathon (5 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:30 Half Marathon (6 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:45 Half Marathon (4 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:45 Half Marathon (5 days)
- 10-Week Sub-1:45 Half Marathon (6 days)
- 10-Week Sub-2 Half Marathon (3 days)
- 10-Week Sub-2 Half Marathon (4 days)
Last reviewed 2026-05-01. See how we score.