Running Economy

Running economy measures the energy cost of running. While VO2 max. measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can utilize during intense exercise, running economy reflects how efficiently your body converts that energy into running performance. Running economy is expressed in milliliters of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per kilometer (ml/kg/km). Lower numbers mean that less energy was used.

Requirements: You must record several outdoor run or track run activities using a compatible accessory that measures step speed loss, such as the HRM 600.

Key factors: Running economy uses your profile information, run history, heart rate, speed, and running dynamics. Step speed loss is an essential factor, because it captures how much you slow down when your foot hits the ground (Running Dynamics). For best results, make sure your height and weight settings are correct (Setting Up Your User Profile).

Understanding the results: Keep in mind that running economy is ultimately all about aerobic performance. Easy runs of at least 30 minutes on a track or over flat terrain offer the maximum opportunity for gaining insight into this metric. Indoor runs and trail runs are not used to estimate or update your running economy. For more information, go to Garmin.com/performance-data/running, and see the appendix (Running Economy Ratings).

Viewing Your Running Economy

• From the watch face, press to view the running performance glance.

NOTE: You may need to add the glance to your glances list (Customizing the Glances List).

• From the Garmin Connect app, select > Performance Stats > Running Economy.

You can also add running economy to your home screen data.