▲ Photo by Tim Tadder on Behance
"When I went from walking and running to running a complete 5 kilometers, I felt so great that I was so excited that I wanted to cry; when I could run 10 kilometers in one breath, I was excited. I took screenshots and sent them to friends, and planned to run 15 kilometers in 10 days to give them a surprise... And when I started to follow other runners and pay attention to the data on the APP, such as cadence and stride length , pace, etc., I found that I am just a novice, not great at all, so insignificant. "
When a runner starts paying attention to cadence, it means that he or she may have the following aspirations:
- Want to surpass others
- Want. Healthy running
- Want to improve skills
If you pay attention to cadence because of point 1, you are on the road to becoming a speed master, or you may be on a detour purely pursuing high cadence.
If you are paying attention to cadence because of point 2, you are already on the road to scientific running.
If you are paying attention to cadence because of point 3, congratulations, you have found the root cause. Improving technology can solve the cadence problem, and technology is the guarantee of health and speed. If the third point is solved, the first two points will naturally be solved.
Cadence is an important running technique.
For ordinary runners, if they deal with the cadence problem well, can not only reduce sports injuries, but also improve running efficiency. is an advancement in speed. For those who love running, the importance (or attraction) of either of these two aspects cannot be avoided.
The cadence of most novice runners is between 150 and 170 steps/minute (or even lower), and some novice runners have a cadence of more than 190 steps/min. This cadence refers to running at pace (marathon pace) rather than easy running. The cadence below is discussed in this context.
At the same pace, a too low stride frequency means a larger stride. In fact, , quite a few runners deliberately increase their stride length by stepping forward to increase their speed, but ignore the increase in stride frequency. This will bring great pain risks, and stepping will make the landing The point is too far in front of the center of gravity, causing a braking effect and greatly reducing running efficiency.
A too high stride frequency at the same pace means a smaller stride length. Many runners believe in small steps and high frequency, and deliberately increase the stride frequency and suppress the stride length. This is detrimental to the development of the body's opening and closing, and will cause great limitations for further advancement.
A reasonable stride frequency will allow our body to open and close naturally during running (without suppressing or deliberately stretching), giving full play to the spring assisting effect of Achilles tendon , thereby avoiding injuries and improving running efficiency.
Regarding cadence, runners are most concerned about the following three points:
- For ordinary runners, is cadence important? Does the cadence of
- have to be 180?
- Is there any good way to improve cadence?
Why everyone is saying that the cadence should reach 180
Regarding the cadence in middle-distance running, has a saying of 180 steps/minute.
cadence 180 steps/minute is proposed by Dr. Daniels. He mentioned in his book that during the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, he watched the performance of different runners every day at the running competition and calculated their results. At that time, he recorded the cadence of more than 50 male and female runners, with events ranging from 800-meter races to marathons. He found that only one of all runners had a cadence lower than 180 steps per minute.
In addition, he believes that a cadence of 180 steps/minute can effectively reduce the impact when landing , so Dr. Daniels constantly emphasizes in the book that the cadence during running must be 180 steps/min.
There are also related sports scientist studies that show that can make full use of the elasticity of muscles and tendons when the cadence is 180 and above. This can fully absorb the impact of landing into the Achilles tendon and muscles during running, and then release it into the forward momentum, thereby reducing injuries and saving physical energy.
When the cadence is 180 and above, we will clearly feel the rhythm of running. This is the result of the elasticity of tendons and muscles.
high stride frequency, to some extent, can solve the problem of excessive stride, kicking and vertical amplitude .
This is because the higher the step frequency, the less time you have to push the ground, and the weight can be naturally distributed into more steps, making each step lighter. The burden on joints and muscles will be smaller, and sports injuries will occur. The probability will also be reduced.
Some people say that a high cadence will cause more stress on the body and should increase the burden. Yes, this is true in terms of physical fitness, but not in terms of muscle strength.
For example, there is an 80kg barbell. With your current ability, you can only lift it 4 times. On the 5th time, you can only lift it halfway and reach exhaustion. Then the total weight you can effectively lift is 320kg. But you can lift a 40kg barbell 15 times, and the total weight effectively lifted is 600kg.
A marathon is the process of lifting your body tens of thousands of times with your legs. 's small load and high frequency can allow you to bear more total load with the same physical ability. This is the mechanical principle of small step high frequency.
It seems that a cadence of 180 and above has at least the following benefits:
- The impact on the body when landing is also small, which can reduce the impact on joints and muscles and prevent injuries.
- The vertical range of the body is small, which improves running efficiency.
- It can make full use of the elasticity of tendons and muscles to save physical energy.
Does the cadence have to be 180?
From a mechanical point of view, the higher the running cadence, the higher the mechanical efficiency. Running relies on the feet to continuously switch support points to move forward. The higher the frequency of switching support points (the higher the cadence), The closer it is to the rolling method of a wheel, the more effectively it can use gravity and inertia. Therefore, high-cadence running is the key to high efficiency.
But on the other hand, if the cadence exceeds a certain level, there will be the following side effects:
- High cadence As the arm swing/leg pull-up increases, the heart rate will rise quickly, and the body will feel more tired.
- Injuries cannot be completely avoided. When the load exceeds the body's ability to bear, the risk of injuries will also occur.
Therefore, we cannot blindly pursue high cadence, but must find the balance point between heart rate and cadence.
Because the slope of the road surface, running distance, runner's speed and personal physiological structure are different, everyone's cadence will be different. For some people, 182 is fine, and if you increase the heart rate, the heart rate will jump up; for some, 190 is just right, and for some people, 200 still feels relaxed. 180 is just a base point. As for whether it is 182, 185, 190 or 200, we have to constantly explore the pace that suits us during training (generally speaking, as physical fitness and technology improve).
180 is just a reference data. The key is to find the labor-saving and exciting rhythm when running at a pace according to your own individual situation.
There is no best cadence, only the cadence that suits you.
It should be noted that when running easily (jogging), you should be comfortable with your body and do not suppress the natural stride length in order to achieve a cadence of 180. During tempo running, interval running, and ST running, the cadence may exceed 190 or even reach 230. This is the natural state, and it doesn't matter.
It is normal for a runner with long legs to have a slightly lower cadence, because at the same forward lean angle, his natural stride length is larger. If the pace is the same, his cadence will be lower. You should consider your own situation and don't blindly compare with others.
How to increase cadence?
Generally, novice runners have a cadence of 150~170 steps/minute (average 166 steps/min). After practice, they can reach a cadence of 180 steps/min, because this is the cadence that all healthy bodies can get used to. . starts with a small pace at the beginning. Depending on the height, you can try to start training from a stride of 0.7~0.8m.
There are several methods for reference:
- Train the calves to quickly retract under the buttocks.
- Run with a high-cadence runner and follow his rhythm.
- uses the metronome on the mobile APP to train step by step.
- When training by yourself, transition from slow to fast to allow your breathing and heartbeat to keep up with the rhythm.
- Start with fast running (such as 200-meter sprint) to practice high stride frequency to activate the agility nerve links of muscles and tendons.
Regardless of the training method, you must first overcome the large stride caused by stepping forward.
In fact, the purpose behind any kind of running technology is to enable runners to run more efficiently and reduce the risk of physical injuries. Therefore, even if you are not participating in a competition, you are not necessarily running as fast as you want, but science The cadence can make you run more easily.
Well, if you already fully understand the scientific connotation of cadence 180, then you might as well take advantage of the Spring Festival holiday to practice it at home!
The author of this article: Xue Zhang (penname Xiao Yi) is a Pose Method China certified coach, runner, in-depth technical control and personal management practitioner, advocating scientific running and in-depth thinking. Some of the pictures in this article come from Pexels, Unsplash and the Internet
