For years, running power was not a metric that everyday athletes were able to measure. Even elite runners did not usually have their running power tested or have access to the technology needed to assess power.
While sports like cycling and rowing use power and many cardio machines like exercise bikes, ellipticals, and stair climbers present power production during your workout, measuring running power through wearable technology is certainly in its nascent years.
The good news is that some of the premium running watches can now measure running power.
What Does Power In Running Mean?
Although we think about power in the context of electrical power, from a physics standpoint, power is simply defined as the rate at which work can be done, measured in watts.
The greater your running power, or the power generated during any type of exercise (wattage), the faster you can create force.
In this way, power in running—or any form of physical activity such as cycling, weightlifting, or using a rowing machine—is strength multiplied by speed.
We can think of running power as a measure of how quickly a runner can push off on the ground and propel their body forward.
Running power decreases if ground contact time (how long your foot is on the ground) is high because the equation for power is power = force x speed.
A high running power means that you can do a lot of muscular “work“ in a short amount of time.
Improving or increasing power means that you are able to generate and sustain a higher level of muscular force for more explosive movements that result in a faster stride turnover.
This allows you to take longer strides and faster strides simultaneously, ultimately helping you cover more ground as you run more quickly.
Thus, in short, better running power means faster running and better race times.
Therefore, improving running power = improving running performance.
What Factors Affect Running Power Output?
Many factors can affect your running power.
For example, there could be two runners of the same weight and fitness level running at the same pace, but with different running power values. If one of the athletes were raising their legs unnecessarily high, striking their running shoes on ground in a less efficient way, or excessively swinging their arms, then their power would be higher.
A runner with improved running efficiency and running form will also be able to generate the same amount of power when running with less effort needed and a lower heart rate.
In this sense, running power is correlated with RPE. Running power is often cited as a better measure of intensity than pace, as it accounts for uphills and downhills.
A runner may slow down as they begin to run up a hill, while their average power and RPE remain the same. Pace as a measure of intensity does not account for the increased efforted required to ascend or descent hills, but power does.
What Are Running Power Zones?
Power zones are training zones, with the idea being that each zone helps train different bodily fitness adaptations.
Determining the correct zones and training for certain lengths of time in particular ones is a crucial aspect to long distance training, helping to maximize the effectiveness of training and minimize fatigue and recovery time.
There are 3 zones officially accepted in the scientific fitness community, however, coaches commonly use 5 zones or even up to 7 zones.1ScienceTraining. (2023, August 10). Power Zones: All you need to know about them. ScienceTraining. https://www.sciencetraining.io/power-zones-all-you-need-to-know-about-them/
Coaches may sometimes measure lactate threshold to determine an athlete’s Functional Threshold Power (FTP), meaning the highest intensity of exercise an individual can run without their blood lactate levels increasing exponentially.
They will then build a training plan with different custom training zones based on this data.
In well trained or elite runners, FTP is likely to lie at around 85 to 90% of VO2max.2Bettin, A. (2019, June 25). The Differences Between Running and Cycling Power. TrainingPeaks. https://www.trainingpeaks.com/blog/the-differences-between-running-and-cycling-power/#:~:text=In%20trained%20runners%2C%20one%20might
How Does Measure Running Power?
Among the various metrics you might receive from your Garmin Running watch, Apple Watch, or some other wrist-based GPS running watch such as COROS, Fenix, Stryd Pod, Footpod, or Polar watch, real-time running power measurement is a newer stat that some of these premium fitness sports watches may provide.
The Garmin running power meter uses metrics such as your pace, vertical oscillation, cadence (steps per minute), grade/incline, and even local wind conditions to calculate the propulsive force you are applying into the ground relative to your ground contact time and running speed to provide the Garmin Watch running power calculation.3Running Power | Garmin Technology. (n.d.). Www.garmin.com. https://www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-technology/running-science/running-dynamics/running-power/
A running power number is then calculated by considering different components of running power, such as kinetic power, potential power, vertical oscillation power, horizontal oscillation power, and wind power while running.
The Garman data gathered during your running workout is plugged into equations and algorithms meticulously designed to synthesize these various aspects of running power.
For example, kinetic power, which is the power required to change your running pace, is gathered from speed data from your Garmin watch.
Potential power refers to the power required to run up or down a hill, and this data is taken from the barometer that measures elevation on your Garmin GPS watch.
The more complicated features of how Garmin calculates running power are by using the Garmin vertical oscillation power data and horizontal oscillation metrics.
These metrics are pulled from the different running dynamics provided by the watch and the technology and algorithms that have been put in place to function by measuring your vertical and horizontal displacement, heart rate, cadence, ground reaction time, force applied to the ground and ground contact time, etc. as you run.4Running Power | Garmin Technology. (n.d.). Www.garmin.com. Retrieved July 9, 2024, from https://www.garmin.com/en-US/garmin-technology/running-science/running-dynamics/running-power/
Garmin running power and Apple Watch power can be useful to monitor and keep track of because power is generally consistent in the long term, yet it is immediately responsive in a training session or given running workout based on your effort, speed, etc.
Additionally, unlike running metrics like pace, running power is responsive to factors like wind and hills, so you can use running power to compare different running workouts where you ran different routes or the environmental conditions were not the same.
For example, if your speed remains the same, running power increases when you run uphill, and it decreases when you run down a hill.
This allows you to use power to gauge progress in the short term and long term and conduct a more apples-to-apples comparison between running workouts where multiple variables are changing.
Most of the premium Garmin running watches measure power, or you can download the Running Power app from the Connect IQ™ Store if your Garmin doesn’t calculate running power metrics automatically.
What Are the Benefits of Power Training for Runners?
While we hear a lot about the benefits of strength training and speed training for runners, the benefits of power training for runners are only just becoming a larger part of the general discourse due to the advancements in technology that can measure running power.
Ultimately, strength training workouts and speed workouts for runners each individually address one of the two arms of the equation for running power, respectively, as power equals force (strength) divided by speed.
Therefore, one of the benefits of strength training for runners is that you will generate more force, and of course, the benefit of speed training for runners is that you can become faster from a neuromuscular perspective.
However, you can potentially improve power more efficiently by specifically training with running power-targeted exercises and drills.
Because running power is a measure of the muscular force you can exert as quickly as possible, power training for runners does involve a combination of strength and speed training zones, generally using explosive movements such as plyometrics.
By nature, plyometrics replicate the concept of power because plyometric exercises are all about generating force as quickly as possible (building explosive speed/strength), which, by definition, is power.
Here are some of the benefits of power training exercises for runners:
#1: Increasing your maximum running speed
Power training exercises for runners help you apply more force into the ground quickly while you are running, which helps propel your body forward faster.
#2: Improving your ability to accelerate
Increasing power helps you accelerate faster, climb hills more easily, and explode through turns in a race.
#3: Improving your running mechanics and stride efficiency
One of the primary benefits is that it helps you improve your running mechanics by giving you a more propulsive force to enter the flight phase of running while minimizing ground contact time.
The flight phase is really where you will gain a lot of speed as a runner and make your efficiency and economy as a runner significantly greater.5Saunders, P. U., Pyne, D. B., Telford, R. D., & Hawley, J. A. (2004). Factors Affecting Running Economy in Trained Distance Runners. Sports Medicine, 34(7), 465–485.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15233599/
#4: Reducing the risk of running injuries
This type of training can decrease the risk of running injuries.
What Are the Best Power Exercises for Runners?
As mentioned, power training workouts for runners center around plyometric exercises.
Running plyometrics can be considered jumping or bounding drills.
Plyometrics help your body increase the rate of force development so that you can have more of that explosive force production or the ability to generate force rapidly.6Perez-Gomez, J., & Calbet, J. a. L. (2013). Training methods to improve vertical jump performance. The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness, 53(4), 339–357. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23828282/
For running power workouts, focus on using heavy weights and performing power-based strength training activities such as plyometrics (burpees, box jumps) and use heavier weights for fewer reps with resistance training exercises to maximize gains in muscle strength.
Examples of some of the best running power exercises include bounding drills, single-leg box jumps, very short hill sprints, and weighted box jumps.
You can learn more about the best plyometric exercises for runners to build power and strength here.
