“The power of marketing has made your wonderful cushioning shoes limit you to 155 steps per minute instead of 180, which is how you ran years ago without so much deception”

“While minimalists run at 180 steps per minute, your wonderfully cushioned shoes slow you down and only let you go at a pyrrhic 155.” This is how the specialists at the Corridor Clinic are dispatched when evaluating the evolution of cadence in recent years with the increase in the number of models with excess damping.

In a very instructive article they clarify all doubts about the cadence that a popular runner may have.

What is the cadence of step in running and why talk about it?

All the gurus who talk about running biomechanics around the world talk about stride cadence in running to reduce injuries and run faster. Several scientists have studied these concepts. It is a topic that is very fashionable among runners.

Could we say that 180 steps/minute is the ideal cadence for all runners?

Effectively it is around 180 steps with a margin of +/- 10. The ideal cadence is different for each individual… take off your shoes, run for a while on a hard surface (asphalt) and you will know what YOUR ideal cadence is.

Does the runner’s speed change anything, or should he always maintain the same cadence?

Although it is true that speed has an influence on cadence (cadence increases as speed increases) its increase is 10 times less important than the increase in step length. Furthermore, the optimal cadence at any speed is most of the time +/- 10 steps around the average cadence…Whether at jogging speed (10km/h) or at competition speed (20km/h for athletes) . Be careful, walking and sprinting mechanics are different!

Has increasing cushioning affected cadence?

The average cadence of barefoot runners is 180 (+/-10). Popular runners in maximalist shoes with wonderfully cushioned top shoes average a pyrrhic 155 steps. Another interesting thing about cadence is that it has decreased significantly over the last 30 years! …The more cushioning and the more marketing, the fewer steps in each minute. They are tricking us to sell more and more expensive shoes.

Do all international elite runners maintain a cadence of 180?

170 and more… it is interesting to note that most of them run with cadences of 180 (+/- 10)… and this from 1500m to marathon!

What benefit will I get, from a performance standpoint, from increasing my cadence to 180 steps/min?

In the short term, an increase in cadence of 3-4% reduces O2 consumption and improves performance in most subjects. In the long term, in popular runners, a more significant increase could also increase mechanical efficiency (less O2 consumption for the same speed), thus increasing running economy (more elastic rebound, less muscular work, less vertical displacement, etc. .).

What benefit will I get from an injury prevention standpoint?

This reduces the speed of impact with the ground (associated in some studies with the incidence of injuries) in addition to reducing stress on the joints of the knees, hips and lower back.

How can a long stride be detrimental to a runner, from an injury and performance standpoint?

Slow cadences (140 to 160 steps per minute), often seen in popular runners, are more likely to increase the braking phase, placing the heel on the ground ahead of the center of gravity, the speed of the force of impact, etc.

Is it difficult to increase the cadence?

No. It is an easy process for 90% of people to learn. Just taking more steps and making them smaller is enough. To improve your ability to maintain a good cadence over the long term, run barefoot or in minimalist shoes (Minimalist Index > 70%). On the contrary, there is something essential in this change of cadence: be progressive… add one to two minutes per start!