SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/run-cadence-step-rate

In a study of 45 runners, what did a 5 to 10 percent higher step rate do?

It reduced loading at the hip and knee.

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  1. Reduced loading at the hip and knee ✔
  2. Made runners much slower
  3. Doubled the force on the knees

Why: Step rate, or cadence, is how many steps you take per minute. At the same speed, slightly quicker and shorter steps meant less energy absorbed at the knee. Talk to a coach before making big form changes.

Huh, didn't know that: When the same runners cut their step rate by 10 percent, every joint absorbed much more energy.

The dad joke
Why did the runner sit next to the speaker? He wanted to catch the beat for his cadence.
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References

Answer: Reduced loading at the hip and knee. Step rate, or cadence, is how many steps you take per minute. At the same speed, slightly quicker and shorter steps meant less energy absorbed at the knee. Talk to a coach before making big form changes.

  1. PubMed: Effects of step rate manipulation on joint mechanics during running (Heiderscheit et al.) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20581720
    subtle increases in step rate can substantially reduce the loading to the hip and knee joints during running
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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