VO2max is the size of your battery, but Running Economy is how you use your apps: if you learn to close the useless ones (bad mechanics), you can run faster while burning less fuel.
- VO2max is the capacity of your battery, but Running Economy (RE) is the efficiency of your operating system.
- With equal potential, the runner with better RE wins because they waste less energy on useless movements.
- You can improve RE by working on tendon stiffness and plyometrics.
- Form is about “closing background apps” that slow you down (oscillations, braking forces).
- Running more (volume) naturally teaches your body to optimize fuel consumption.
Two Runners, Same Potential, Different Results: It’s About the Battery
Forget pistons and gas for a second. Let’s use something you hold in your hand all day: your smartphone.
Imagine you have the latest flagship model with a massive battery (this is your VO2max). It’s powerful, technically capable of lasting two full days at full speed.
But now, imagine leaving the house with screen brightness at 100%, Bluetooth searching for devices, GPS active for no reason, the flashlight accidentally on in your pocket, and fifty apps open in the background downloading data.
How long does that phone last? It’s dead by noon.
That is exactly what poor Running Economy is: running with too many useless “apps” open in the background.
You might have incredible aerobic potential, but if you bounce too high, sway your torso side-to-side, or “brake” with every step by landing too far forward (overstriding), you are wasting precious “battery” on things that don’t move you forward. You are leaking energy.
On the flip side, you have the runner with “Low Power Mode” active. Maybe they have a smaller battery (VO2max) than you, but their operating system is clean and essential. There is no waste. Every milliwatt of energy has one purpose: forward motion.
At the end of the race, they still have juice for a kick, while you are desperately looking for a charger.
What Is Running Economy (RE) and Why It Beats VO2max
To put it simply: VO2max measures how much oxygen your body can intake and utilize at maximum effort. It is the ceiling of your physiological potential.
Running Economy, on the other hand, measures how much oxygen (and therefore energy) you need to run at a specific submaximal speed (e.g., your 10K or Marathon pace).
It is the efficiency of the system. It is your gas mileage (MPG).
If you improve your Running Economy, it means you can run at the same pace as before while using less “battery,” or run faster using the same amount of energy. It’s like a software update that optimizes the entire system.
The good news? VO2max is largely genetic and stops growing significantly after a certain level of training. Running Economy, however, can be trained and improved for years.
3 Ways to Improve Your Fuel Efficiency
You don’t need to overhaul your entire running style overnight (don’t do that; you’ll get injured). You need to work on three fundamental pillars to optimize the system.
Strength and Plyometrics
Your body works like a spring. When your foot hits the ground, it stores elastic energy in the tendons and muscles, which is then released to propel you forward.
The better you are at returning this energy (called tendon stiffness), the less muscular effort you need.
To train this quality, you must incorporate explosive strength and plyometrics. Jump rope, bounding, box jumps. These exercises teach your tendons to behave like reactive springs rather than blown-out shock absorbers that disperse energy.
This links directly to another crucial parameter for efficiency: the time you spend glued to the asphalt. The less time you stay down, the more efficient you are. We covered this extensively in our guide on how to reduce ground contact time, which I recommend reading to understand the biomechanics behind this concept.
Technique (Form)
Have you ever watched Eliud Kipchoge run? He looks still. No head bobbing, quiet arms, no excessive bouncing.
Every movement that doesn’t push you forward is wasted energy—it’s an open app draining your battery.
- If you cross your arms in front of your chest, you are wasting energy on useless torso rotation.
- If you take steps that are too long (overstriding), you are braking with every landing.
- If you bounce up too high (vertical oscillation), you are fighting gravity instead of using it.
Improving Running Economy means “cleaning up” the movement. Working on cadence (increasing steps per minute) is often the quickest way to auto-correct many of these flaws. And the shoes? Yes, carbon-plated shoes help running economy (studies show up to a 4% advantage), but they don’t work miracles if your mechanics are inefficient.
Volume
Our nervous system is an incredible learning machine. The more you repeat a movement, the more the brain finds ways to execute it while saving energy, recruiting only the strictly necessary muscle fibers.
Gradually increasing your weekly mileage (without overdoing it and respecting recovery) forces the body to become more economical to survive the effort. It is the oldest adaptation in the world: practice makes perfect.
Practical Drills You Can Start Today
You don’t need to upend your training plan. Here is how to insert Running Economy work into your week:
- Strides: At the end of your easy runs, do 4-6 strides of about 100 yards (80-100 meters). These are not max-effort sprints, but fluid accelerations where you focus solely on perfect form and composure.
- Jump Rope: 5-10 minutes before or after your strength workout. This is massive for foot reactivity.
- Short Hill Sprints: Max effort uphill sprints for 8-10 seconds (with full recovery). These recruit all muscle fibers and improve power without the pounding impact of flat ground.
Remember: running fast is fun, but running efficiently is what allows you to finish the day with a charged battery—so you can actually enjoy what you do.