How to increase running cadence (and avoid injury)

You want to increase your running speed and cut down your time but aren’t sure where to start. Many of us have experimented with changes in steps per minute. But the simple matter of how many steps you take in a minute has a complicated relationship with training and performance. 

Running cadence is the measurable frequency of your stride or steps. There are conflicting opinions on ideal running cadence: some say “higher is better,” and others encourage  “whatever feels comfortable.”

So which is it? In this article, discover how running cadence and performance are connected and how to effectively adjust your own step rate.

What is The Ideal Running Cadence?

It was Jack Daniels — the elite running coach, not the other one — who famously observed Olympic runners with cadences above 180 steps per minute (SPM). Ever since then, cadence has been associated with efficient performance. His takeaway was the more times your feet hit the ground, the faster you will run.

You’ve probably heard of the magic 180 as the number to aim at. However, Coach Daniel’s interesting observation has been taken out of context and promoted as a one-size-fits-all quick fix. It would be great if we could break our personal record simply by increasing our cadence to 180 steps per minute. But that’s not a realistic goal for everyone. 

So how can we increase our steps per minute? We need to take a closer look at the relationship between running cadence and running performance.

How do I measure my cadence?

Before you begin working towards increasing your cadence, you need to know how to measure it accurately. Here are two easy ways you can measure your own cadence:  

Common Cadence Mistakes To Avoid

1. Increasing your running cadence too quickly

It takes time for your body to adapt to a new cadence. Although most of us would benefit from a higher running cadence, targeting a step rate that doesn’t match your training level or anatomy is likely to increase your risk of injury and cause a temporary decrease in your running economy.⁽¹⁾

2. Ignoring your running cadence

Most runners naturally select a cadence that is lower than the optimum. Lower cadences mean longer strides. Longer strides mean higher heel-strike impact forces and an increased risk of injury.⁽²⁾⁽³⁾ However, increasing cadence toward the optimum can improve running economy and injury-related ground reaction forces with proper adaptation.⁽⁴⁾⁽⁵⁾

FACTORS AFFECTING RUNNING CADENCE

Here are some determining factors to consider if your goal is to increase your running cadence.

Height and Leg Length

Cadence is determined by a number of factors, including height and leg length. Taller runners have longer strides and therefore have lower cadences. It’s good to know, but this isn’t particularly helpful since we can’t change our height or leg length.

Muscle Fibers and Training History

Training history, acute fatigue, and even predominant muscle fiber type have also been suggested as factors affecting running cadence. Some evidence shows that fast twitch muscle fibers function optimally at a higher cadence, although it is unclear how this impacts performance.⁽⁶⁾⁽⁷⁾

Running Pace

More than diet, fitness, or motivation, running pace is the crucial and glaringly obvious factor that’s the key determinant of running cadence.

A recent study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology demonstrated exactly this. The researchers measured cadence for 25 elite ultramarathoners during a 100 km race. As expected, the athletes clustered around an average of 182 SPM, apparently supporting the notion that 180 is the holy grail of cadence.⁽⁸⁾

However, the same study also demonstrated a wide variation in individual step rates, from as few as 155 to an incredible 203 steps per minute! The study showed that cadence was not related to fatigue, weight, sex, age, or training history of the athletes. 

Besides height – which we have no control over – the only factor related to cadence was running speed.  As runners sped up, cadence increased. As they slowed, their cadence decreased.⁽⁹⁾ In other words, runners aren’t fast because they take 180 steps per minute. They take 180 steps per minute because they are running fast.

The point is, you can’t select one magic cadence number and blindly run at it. Your cadence is specific to your anatomy and pace, whether you are running half marathons or half hours.

If you’ve ever tried running at this pace, you know how quick it is. And, more than likely, your cadence was somewhere around 180. The takeaway? Pace dictates cadence, not the other way around.

4 TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR RUNNING CADENCE

Forcing a high cadence is a questionable strategy for improving performance, and as we’ve seen, cadence is largely determined by how fast we run. Having said that, most of us naturally select a cadence lower than the optimum and would benefit from retraining to a higher step rate.

Here are our tips for increasing cadence safely and effectively:

1. KNOW YOUR CADENCE

Keep track of your cadence for each pace you run. Remember that when racing, you are likely to run faster than usual with a higher step rate. Over time you will learn how your cadence is connected to how fast you run.

 2. FOCUS ON FITNESS

Cadence is determined by speed. As your fitness improves you will be able to maintain a faster pace with a higher cadence. If you can run a 5 minute mile (1.6 km in 5 minutes), your cadence will almost certainly be above 170 SPM.

 3. MAKE SMALL CHANGES

Prevent injuries and setbacks from increasing your step rate too quickly. Gradual adjustments of approximately five steps per minute will give your body time to adapt without causing injury or impacting performance. The aim is to raise your cadence for a given pace, not hit 180 on every run.

4. MONITOR YOUR HEART RATE

Recent research has demonstrated that heart rate can be used to identify optimum cadence. ^[11] Record your HR for a comfortable (below threshold) pace at various step rates between 150 and 200. Whichever step rate yields the lowest HR is the most efficient! Allow a couple of minutes for your HR to stabilize at each new cadence.

SUMMARY

Running cadence isn’t something you can manipulate for instant results. But as your fitness improves and your pace quickens, you should see a natural increase in step rate.

No matter your ability level, most runners choose a cadence that’s lower than optimum. So increasing your cadence for any given pace is a good idea.

Remember to adjust your cadence gradually and take advantage of wearable technology for accurate step rate analysis. Over time, you will find the optimum cadence for your chosen activity and enjoy the rewards of improved running economy and lower impact force — just another reason to go for a run.

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