![]() ![]() Conley and Krahenbuhl (1980) define economy as submaximal oxygen consumption (VO 2submax). Despite this, there is a discrepancy over the term RE and its definition. Work economy for a given task has emerged as a measurement which is both conceptually clear and practically useful for the evaluation of endurance activities and has become almost universally accepted as the physiological criterion for ‘efficient’ performance. The purpose of this review is to 1) examine and review how RE is defined and measured and 2) consider the metabolic, cardiorespiratory, biomechanical, and neuromuscular components that determine RE. Therefore RE is an important measure for coaches, athletes and practitioners to understand, quantify and attempt to enhance. Furthermore, many of these factors are modifiable through various training modalities (Figure 2). The heritability of genetic traits is no doubt the prevailing factor affecting RE (Figure 2), however at the moment, there is limited research examining specific genotypes related to better economy. The multifaceted concept of RE, with multiple types of efficiency (that is, accounting for the work done and energy lost) may be intuitively understood by scientists, practitioners and coaches, nonetheless it has yet to be defined or discussed in great detail in the literature. Lastly, neuromuscular and biomechanical characteristics refer to the interaction between the neural and musculoskeletal systems and their ability to convert power output into translocation and therefore performance. Metabolic efficiency refers to the utilization of available energy to facilitate optimal performance, whereas cardiopulmonary efficiency refers to a reduced work output for the processes related to oxygen transport and utilization. While the measurement of RE is often perceived as a simple concept, it is actually a multifactorial measure which reflects the combined functioning of the metabolic, cardiopulmonary, biomechanical and neuromuscular systems (Figure 2). Of the numerous metabolic, cardiopulmonary, biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics contributing to RE, many of these are able to adapt through training or other interventions resulting in improved RE. Biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics refer to the interaction between the neural and musculoskeletal systems and their ability to convert power output into translocation and therefore performance. Despite being simple to measure and acceptably reliable, it is evident that RE is a complex, multifactorial concept that reflects the integrated composite of a variety of metabolic, cardiorespiratory, biomechanical and neuromuscular characteristics that are unique to the individual. However, representative RE values for different caliber of male and female runners can be identified from existing literature with mostly clear delineations in oxygen uptake across a range of speeds in moderately and highly trained and elite runners. It is difficult to accurately ascertain what is good, average, and poor RE between athletes and studies due to variation in protocols, gas-analysis systems, and data averaging techniques. This review considers 1) how RE is defined and measured and 2) physiological and biomechanical factors that determine or influence RE. Running economy (RE) is considered an important physiological measure for endurance athletes, especially distance runners. ![]()
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