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Writer's pictureLuke Nelson

How hard do our muscles work when we run?

This exact question was answered in a 2012 study by Tim Dorn, & is often quoted by many within running, including ourselves! What they examined in this study was how hard each muscle group worked at increasing running speeds & here are the results:



What can we take from these numbers?

šŸ”‘ Firstly the soleus (the lower calf muscle does a LOT of work) even at slower speeds they perform upwards of 6.7 times bodyweight of force.

šŸ”‘ Generally, the faster the running speed, the more work performed by each muscle group

šŸ”‘ Hamstrings & iliopsoas (hip flexors) really kick in at faster running speeds

šŸ”‘ For distance runners, the biggest contributors are the soleus & the quads, so it pays to develop strength in these muscles!

šŸ‘‹ Runners if you need help with your running injuries or performance, please don't hesitate to contact us!


šŸ“šReference

Dorn, T. W., et al. (2012). "Muscular strategy shift in human running: dependence of running speed on hip and ankle muscle performance." J Exp Biol 215(Pt 11): 1944-1956.

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