Seemingly overnight, there has been an explosion of research into every variable in the reduction and management of running-related injuries. Among these a great deal of attention has been given to the potential of changing running technique or “gait re-training” to reduce pain and optimise performance.
One of the changes advocated to reduce pain is that of increasing cadence, (the number of steps you take per minute) Research has shown that a 5 to 10% increase in cadence can reduce the load on the knee by up to 7% which has got to be good news if you, like a large number orf runners are suffering from knee pain.
The same increase in cadence has also been shown to reduce excessive hip movements associated with running related knee pain and decrease stress on the bones and soft -tissues of the lower leg and foot, great if you want to avoid shin splints and stress fractures.
So should you go out today and suddenly increase your cadence by 10%? The answer is an emphatic NO.
Also with any change in running technique, increasing cadence will decrease stress on some tissues while increasing load elsewhere. There is also likely to be a short-term drop off in performance and increased fatigue as your body adjusts to the increased step rate. Moreover, each runner has an individual, and partly genetically determined capacity to adapt to change, (no two runners respond to the same training stimulus the same way). As with transitioning to a more minimalist shoe, it may take several months or longer before you adjust and the increased cadence becomes “natural”.
New runners may be best placed to make changes as they do not have to unlearn faulty mechanics and will potentially adapt faster.
It is always preferable to see a specialist running physiotherapist before you make any changes to technique or training but here are a few “take-homes” .
Introduce change slowly. Try doing a few “strides” before or after your steady runs where you concentrate on cadence rather than speed, (although increased speed tends to be associated with increased step rate)
Monitor signs of overload such as increased muscle soreness/fatigue the day after training.
Incorporate simple strength and conditioning exercises such as squats and calf raises to help condition your tissues for the increased demand.
Above all, take things slowly.
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