Van Hooren et al. 2024, Running biomechanics and running economy: systematic review and meta-analysis

This systematic review and meta-analysis of 51 observational studies (1,115 participants) found that individual biomechanical variables explain only 4–12% of between-runner variance in running economy when considered in isolation; most spatiotemporal measures showed negligible associations with economy. Higher cadence, greater vertical stiffness and reduced vertical displacement were the strongest biomechanical correlates of better economy. Evidence: strong.