Running economy is the most trainable factor
In already-trained distance runners, running economy is more trainable than VO2max and contributes more to short-term performance gains.
In plain English
With focused work, trained runners can become 3 to 8 percent more efficient in 6 to 12 weeks. Over the same stretch, VO2 max might move only 1 to 3 percent. Using less energy at your pace turns fairly directly into faster race times.
Why it works
RE improvements come from neuromuscular, tendon-stiffness, and biomechanical adaptations. These pathways remain trainable across the running career, unlike the cardiovascular ceilings that limit VO2max.
What it means in practice
Trained runners frustrated with stalled VO2max should not assume their training is failing. Strength, plyometric, and form work targeting economy is often where the largest available gains are. Frame this in plan reviews.
The evidence
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Several intrinsic biomechanical factors appear beneficial for running economy: using one's preferred stride length (or up to 3% shorter than preferred — but not longer); lower vertical oscillation; greater leg stiffness; lower lower-limb moment of inertia; less leg extension at toe-off; larger stride angles (the angle of the parabolic tangent of the center of mass at toe-off); alignment of the ground reaction force with the leg axis during propulsion; maintained arm swing; low thigh antagonist-agonist muscular coactivation; and low activation of lower-limb muscles during the propulsive phase. The review explicitly cautions against prescribing a single 'ideal' running form because individual variation is large and many beneficial features emerge naturally with training rather than from explicit cueing. Beginners who improved running economy after 10 weeks of training showed kinematic changes (knee and ankle angle at toe-off) rather than dramatic form overhauls.
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The concept of fixed inter-individual differences in trainability has been overstated. Studies using more intense or progressive training (interval training, longer programs) show VO2max increases in essentially all participants, contradicting earlier reports of a substantial 'non-responder' fraction at modest training doses. The authors argue that what looks like genetic non-responsiveness is largely a training-stimulus issue: under-dosed protocols produce small mean responses with high apparent variability, but adequate stimulus produces near-universal improvement. They propose new twin-study designs to separate true genetic limits from training-stimulus inadequacy.
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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.
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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 medium
Multiple lines of evidence converge: Joyner 2018 shows VO2max plateaus quickly in trained athletes, while RE continues to respond to strength, plyometric, and form work for years. Moore 2016 reviews the determinants of RE. The claim is well-supported but rests on synthesis rather than a single decisive trial.
Where it applies
Trained-to-well-trained adult distance runners (1+ years of consistent running).
Does not apply to: beginners and detrained adults, where VO2max is the dominant trainable factor.
Last reviewed 2026-05-01. See how we score.