Stride Frequency and Muscle-Tendon Elasticity Complex

Running cadence refers to how often a runner changes support during running. In biomechanics this parameter is known as stride frequency and is measured in steps per second. It reflects how the runner interacts with gravity through technique.

Why is stride frequency so important? Why do we pay so much attention to it?

The frequency of our strides in running is essentially the rate at which we change support from one foot to the other. Each time support changes, the body enters a brief phase of free fall and gravity accelerates it forward.

Gravity on Earth always pulls objects toward the center of the planet. Because of this, every object falls toward the ground regardless of where it is on the Earth’s surface. In running, however, gravity does not simply pull the body downward. In combination with body alignment on support (the running Pose) and movement, it becomes the leading force that moves the body forward.

Acceleration due to gravity is constant. What changes is our ability to take advantage of it. That ability depends on how we align the body on support to allow free fall and how quickly we change support.

If you fall forward and do not move your foot to create a new point of support, you will quickly find yourself face first on the ground. Tip forward only slightly and you can move your foot slowly to prevent hitting the ground. You are still falling forward—you are simply preventing the fall from becoming a collapse.

Increase the angle of your fall and you must move faster to stay with it rather than resist it.

Forward movement in running therefore comes from the torque created by gravity acting on the body, while stride frequency describes how quickly the runner changes support.

The faster we run, the higher the stride frequency becomes — not the other way around. Stride frequency supports speed; it does not create it.

The faster we change support, the less we interfere with the body’s fall under gravity and the faster we run. At the same time, reducing resistance to gravity decreases the mechanical load placed on the body. The result is both faster movement and lower injury risk.

The fastest 10K runners, for example Haile Gebrselassie or Kenenisa Bekele, in a final lap could run with up to 240 steps per minute, while the fastest sprinters like Usain Bolt, Tyson Gay,  Noah Lyles and  Gout Gout operate even higher, often in the 250–290 steps per minute range and above.

The magic number

So what are the limits we are talking about?

For the upper limit the answer is simple – the higher the better. If you can go 200 or more steps per minute, that only expands your possibilities.

The more interesting question concerns the minimum effective level of stride frequency.

In the Pose Method this threshold is considered to be at 180 steps per minute. The idea behind it does not come from coaching tradition but is connected to early research on the elastic properties of the muscle–tendon system conducted by the Margaria research group in the 1960s and early 1970s.

In a series of experiments studying locomotion and elastic energy utilization, researchers demonstrated that elastic recoil stored in muscles and tendons can contribute significantly to movement when the rhythm of the movement cycle is sufficiently high. When this elastic contribution becomes involved, the muscles themselves perform less metabolic work, improving overall efficiency.

One important observation comes from the work “Mechanical work in running” (1964), which showed that utilizing elastic recoil during locomotion can reduce oxygen consumption by approximately 20 percent while increasing mechanical efficiency significantly. These findings helped demonstrate why movement rhythms that allow elastic contribution are metabolically advantageous.

And a key experimental observations appeared in their work titled ‘Utilization of muscle elasticity in exercise,’ (1972). In that study subjects performed successive vertical rebounds used to measure the contribution of elastic elements during repeated movements.

The rebounds were performed at a rate of approximately three per second. At this tempo the elastic components stretched during landing were able to contribute to the following movement. Numerically this rhythm corresponds closely to a running cadence: 3 steps per second × 60 seconds ≈ 180 steps per minute

Importantly, the researchers did not present this number as a recommended cadence for runners. It appeared simply as the movement rate used in the experimental protocol. However, mechanically it represents a tempo at which the elastic properties of the muscle–tendon system can effectively assist the next movement.

The reason lies in how elastic energy behaves in biological tissues. During landing the muscle–tendon system briefly stretches and stores elastic energy. For this stored energy to contribute to the next movement, the following action must occur quickly enough. If too much time passes, the energy dissipates as heat and the muscles must perform more of the work themselves.

Taken together, these early studies revealed an important principle: when movement frequency reaches a certain level, the elastic properties of the muscle–tendon complex begin to contribute significantly to the movement, reducing the amount of muscular effort required.

Seen in this context, the cadence of 180 steps per minute or higher corresponds closely to the rhythm at which elastic energy can meaningfully assist running.

Interestingly, Jack Daniels, the respected American coach, briefly mentioned in his book Daniels’ Running Formula (1998) counting steps of elite runners during the 1984 Olympic Games and noting values around 180 steps per minute or higher. However, Daniels did not emphasize the number and it attracted little attention when it appeared in his book, nor did it enter the coaching world. But looking back at that mention it’s significance is in simple confirmation of fact by an independent and important figure in this field.

Additionally, more recent research has concluded that increasing step rate can substantially reduce loading at the hip and knee joints during running, suggesting that cadence adjustments may help in the prevention and treatment of common running-related injuries.

Why it matters in clinical practice

For physical therapists, stride frequency is more than a performance metric. It is a clinically relevant parameter of running technique because it reflects how the runner changes support, manages loading, and times movement under gravity.

When stride frequency is too low for a given running speed, the runner commonly spends more time on support and relies on greater muscular effort to manage each step. This often appears together with longer ground contact, greater braking, and higher loading demands on the lower extremity. When step rate increases appropriately, support time shortens and the muscle–tendon system is better positioned to contribute elastic recoil, reducing the amount of direct muscular work required.

From a clinical standpoint, stride frequency can therefore serve as a useful observational and retraining parameter. It should not be treated as an isolated target or universal prescription, but it can help identify inefficient timing, delayed change of support, and movement strategies that increase tissue stress.

For the therapist, the practical value is clear: cadence can be used as part of running retraining to influence load distribution, improve movement patterns, and support return to running.

The goal is not to manipulate cadence in isolation, but to improve the timing of support change within the running movement itself.

Learn and practice it

So the benefits are clear, but how do we learn it?

First we need to understand that stride frequency is performed as a part of running and that it serves the process of falling forward. We couldn’t move forward if we were to simply pull the foot from the ground — we need to fall forward first. So fall (allow your body weight to shift forward) first, pull the foot from the ground second.

Then we need to learn to pull the feet from the ground and concentrate the effort on the foot only, not the legs, just the feet. This movement is small and quick and relies primarily on the hamstrings.

You can find a whole list of exercises for that in the Running Revolution book and the video series. You can use downhill running with a slight inclination, run with a partner’s slight push on your back with his or her hand, or use elastic bands that create a gentle forward pull.

It is very helpful to use a metronome-like device to help maintain the appropriate rhythm. As you progress, you can gradually increase the tempo and continue developing this skill.

Strength training

This is the topic where the importance of strength training for runners becomes apparent again. While it is true that running itself develops some of the strength necessary, to fully take advantage of what is already available by nature, a bit of additional effort is required on our part to bring everything together. Specialized strength training does not take much time or effort but can give plenty in return.

It is important to remember, however, that high stride frequency does not demand a huge muscular effort. On the contrary, unnecessary effort and tension should be avoided.

Improved strength of the muscular system allows quicker movements and reduces the amount of time the body spends on support. The faster you pick your foot off the ground, the easier it becomes to keep up with the body’s forward fall.

 

References:

1. Bryan C Heiderscheit, et a, Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running. Medicine and science in sports and exercise 02/2011; 43(2):296-302
2. Alexander, A.M., 1988, Springs as energy stores: running. Elastic mechanisms in animal movement. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, pp. 31-50.
3. Cavagna, G.A., 1977, Storage and utilization of elastic energy in skeletal muscle. Exercise and Sport Science Reviews, 5, 89-129.
4. Cavanagh, P. R., La Fortune M.A., 1980, Ground reaction forces in distance running, J. Biomech, 13:397-406.
5. Thys H., Faraggiana T., Margaria R. (1972). Utilization of muscle elasticity in exercise, J. Appl. Physiol., 32, 491-494.
6. Cavagna, G.A., Saibene, F.P. and Margaria, R., 1964, Mechanical work in running, J. Appl. Physiol., 19:249-256