AN ASSESSMENT OF RUNNING POWER AS A TRAINING METRIC FOR ELITE AND RECREATIONAL RUNNERS

Power, as a testing and training metric to quantify effort, is well accepted in cycling, but is not commonly used in running to quantify effort or performance. This study sought to investigate a novel training tool, the Stryd Running Power Meter, and the applicability of running power (and its individually calculated run mechanics) to be a useful surrogate of metabolic demand ((V)over doto(2)), across different running surfaces, within different caliber runners. Recreational (n = 13) and elite (n = 11) runners completed a test assessing (V)over doto(2) at 3 different paces, while wearing a Stryd Power Meter on both an indoor treadmill and an outdoor track, to investigate relationships between estimated running power and metabolic demand. A weak but significant relationship was found between running power and (V)over doto(2) considering all participants as a homogenous group (r = 0.29); however, when assessing each population individually, no significant relationship was found. Examination of the individual mechanical components of power revealed that a correlative decrease in (V)over doto(2) representing improved efficiency was associated with decreased ground contact time (r = 0.56), vertical oscillation (r = 0.46), and cadence (r = 0.37) on the treadmill in the recreational group only. Although metabolic demand differed significantly between surfaces at most speeds, run power did not accurately reflect differences in metabolic cost between the 2 surfaces. Running power, calculated via the Stryd Power Meter, is not sufficiently accurate as a surrogate of metabolic demand, particularly in the elite population. However, in a recreational population, this training tool could be useful for feedback on several running dynamics known to influence running economy.