Myth Busting Monday: Is 180 Steps per Minute the Ideal Cadence?

For runners who are aware of cadence, many have heard of this allegedly "magical" cadence of 180 steps per minute. If your cadence isn't 180, should you try to change it? Let's break it down by explaining what cadence is, where this mythical 180 number came from, if and when you should change your cadence, and how to do it.

What is cadence?

In running, cadence is the number steps that you take each minute. If you wear a running watch, it likely has this data logged somewhere, and if it doesn't show on your main watch display while running, you can alter the settings so that you can easily see what your cadence is while running. You can also check your cadence the old-fashioned way by setting a timer for 30 seconds and counting your right foot strike, then multiply by 4 to find your cadence.

Why 180?

In 1984, Jack Daniels (a running coach and Exercise Physiology PhD) was at the Olympics and observed that nearly all of the athletes that he observed had a cadence of 180 steps per minute or greater. There is actually not a study published about this 180 number, but he allegedly talked about this in his book and when sharing his training philosophy. The reality is, most elite Olympians are running at a different pace, and have different training background and experience than the average runner. There are many things that affect running cadence including running speed (faster running = faster leg turnover = higher cadence. This also means you can expect a higher cadence on a speed workout than an easy run), height / leg length, gait mechanics, and strength. Thus, we can infer that cadence is unique to each runner, instead of a one size fits all number.

When should I alter my cadence?

There is research that supports that increasing running cadence can reduce injury risk, especially when considering bone stress injury risk in the lower leg and for people with knee pain. However, instead of targeting an arbitrary number like 180, it is recommended to increase your natural cadence by 5-10%. I usually recommend that runners start with a 5% increase. As a physical therapist specializing in runners, when I assess running gait, I consider cadence and foot position relative to center of mass at initial contact, as well as the runner's injury history and present complaints when determining whether or not a change in cadence will be beneficial. If you live in the Atlanta area, you can schedule a running gait analysis with the Running Clinic at Precision Performance and Physical Therapy to determine if a cadence modification is right for you.

How can I alter my cadence?

One of the easiest ways to increase cadence is by using a metronome set to your goal cadence. For instance, if your natural cadence is 155, a 5% increase would be ~162 steps / min, so you would set the metronome to 162. I use a free iPhone app called "Metronome" and it will even play the beats over your music. I usually recommend that runners use this for 5 minutes at the beginning of the run and then turn it off, and come back to it for 2-4 minutes every 1-2 miles. The key is to not increase your pace as you increase your cadence, so doing some mileage on the treadmill can be helpful with this since it will keep your pace steady.

At first, running at a higher cadence can feel awkward and even feel more challenging. Your body is used to running a certain way, and changing this takes mental and physical energy. Your body may even use more calories when you are altering your mechanics! As your body adapts to the new cadence, it will begin to feel more natural and efficient.

Overall, cadence is a metric that can be helpful to monitor when running, especially if you are having pain. It may be worthwhile to modify your cadence, but only by ~5% at a time, not just arbitrarily shooting for 180 steps per minute. It's also important to remember that there are other biomechanical modifications that could help your running, either as a stand alone intervention or in conjunction with cadence manipulation. A professional trained in running gait analysis can help you determine what training or gait modifications can help you to run healthy and strong.

Thanks for reading!

Dr. Elizabeth Karr PT, DPT, OCS