Ever heard the term cadence used when reading running magazines or articles? Ever wondered exactly what a cadence is and why it’s so important in running? Well in this article we’re going to answer the question what is running cadence?. We will also look at just how it effects your running. As well as covering the benefits of adjusting or perfecting your cadence. By doing so you can ensure good running technique and more efficient movement.
So What Is Running Cadence?
It’s actually not overly technical at all. Your cadence as a runner is the amount of times your feet contact the floor in a minute. Another way of saying it would be your ‘steps per minute’.
Now obviously this number is going to be different for every individual. Many factors go into determining cadence. Stride length, which often will factor in overall height and weight. The speed that you tend to settle at when running. Your running experience and knowledge of good technique. Even the type of ground you’re running on can factor in. We tend to take smaller more controlled steps on trails and off-road as the footing is less stable.
So how can you measure it?
The easiest way to measure you cadence is to set off running at your usual pace and set a timer on your phone for 30 seconds. While its ticking away, count the number of times your right foot hits the floor. When the timer goes off, stop counting. Now multiply whatever number you have by four.
If you’re not sure why to multiply by four, it’s because you’ve only counted 1 foot for 30 seconds. You need to know both feet and double the time!
Anyway, the number you now have is your running cadence. As stated its probably best to do this on a nice smooth running surface like a cycle track or the pavement. The reason for this is, as any trail runner knows, your stride can often be affected by external factors when off-road. You may have to take smaller steps to avoid twisting an ankle due to cow-trodden fields, or loose stones. Measuring your cadence ‘on-road’ will give you a much more accurate measure.
What Is The Significance?
Okay, so now that you know what your cadence is, what do you do with that information? Well depending on your experience and how good your technique is, you may have to do very little, or begin making quite big changes.
For everyday runners, an average cadence will probably be somewhere in the 160-170 region. More experienced runners could have a cadence up in the 180s, or even upwards of 200! But why should we worry about it?
Effects On Performance…
A low cadence, let’s say around 160, may mean that your stride length is quite long. This means that when you power forward, you are almost leaping, rather than gliding. This is a problem for a few reasons.
Firstly, when you ‘land’ and plant your foot with each bound, you land on your heel rather than the middle of your foot. Landing with the heel means that you are pushing against your direction of travel. To quote Newton’s third law, we know that every action has an equal and opposite reaction. When you push that heel into the ground, the ground pushes back and effectively acts as a break. This action slows you down!
Another performance issue that arises from a long stride, and thus low cadence, is vertical motion. With a low cadence, as already discussed, you are most likely ‘bounding’ forward. In doing so you are wasting energy in vertical motion. The amount of energy will vary person-to-person, but the effect is clearly going to be detrimental to your performance.
Risk Of Injury…
As well as performance issues, there is the risk of injury associated with a low cadence. Landing with the heel and causing that braking effect stresses the knees and lower limbs. The shock that goes up through the tibia and fibula can cause stress issues with your lower legs as well as damaging the knees!
How To Improve Running Cadence…
So you now know the answer to what is running cadence? and the significance of it. Now let’s look at how we can go about improving it.
Improving your running cadence is not particularly hard on paper, but may take time. One of the easiest ways to improve it is to actively think about shortening your stride. A good way to help with this is to use a metronome when running. A metronome is something musicians use to keep time when practicing or recording. It will click at regular intervals for a set number of times per minute. Don’t jump straight into trying to change it over a full length run though. Also don’t try to up your cadence massively straight away. Doing either of these things may lead to injury.
To up your cadence safely and to minimise injury risk, up it by 5-10% over shorter distances. If your cadence is 160, don’t go out and try to run 10 miles with a cadence of 200 straight away. For a cadence of 160, try running a mile or so with a cadence of 168-176 (by setting the metronome to 168-176 bpm). After a mile or so revert back to your usual running stride. Over time, up the distance you complete with your new cadence and gradually increase the cadence via the metronome. After a while it will become second nature and you will have improved your technique.
In Conclusion…
We have answered the burning question of what is running cadence?. We have looked at how to calculate yours and how to improve it. In conclusion I want to just quickly summarise the benefits of a higher cadence and therefore, improved running technique.
A higher cadence will help you stay injury free when running distances. It will improve your overall longevity when running and the distances you can cover comfortably. In terms of performance, you will find that your overall speed improves and your average heart rate may even fall. Remember, the less pressure we can put on our bodies when running goes towards improving our overall level of fitness and health.
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