What running economy means
Running economy (RE) is how much oxygen — and therefore energy — you use to run at a particular pace. The more economical you are, the less you spend per metre, and the more energy you have left in the 70th minute. It is the hidden cousin of VO2max: VO2max tells you how big your engine is, RE tells you how efficient it is.
Why it matters in rugby
- Backs cover 5–7 km in a senior match; economy directly determines fatigue across that distance.
- Forwards make repeated high-intensity efforts between rucks; economy reduces the aerobic cost of recovery between those efforts.
- Bench impact players need to enter a match cold and be economical immediately — wasted energy here is wasted minutes.
- Sevens athletes live and die by it — a 1–2% economy gain across 7 minutes is meaningful at the score line.
How players improve it
| Method | Mechanism | Typical block |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy strength training | Stiffer tendons, better force-velocity profile | 8–14 weeks, 2–3×/week |
| Plyometrics | Better elastic energy return at footstrike | 6–10 weeks, 1–2×/week |
| Running technique drills | Reduced braking forces, better cadence | Ongoing, integrated into warm-ups |
| Altitude or heat exposure | Haemoglobin mass, plasma volume | 3–4 week blocks, supervised |