Introduction:
Running is an activity enjoyed by many people. It’s a simple and relatively cost-effective form of exercise as you really need no more special equipment than running shoes (unless you are a barefoot runner).
Most people will choose to run on flatter terrain. However, If you live in a hilly or mountainous region, that may not be feasible. Or, you may want to get the extra challenge to improve your fitness.
Hill training can be fatiguing compared to running on level ground. There are increases in caloric burn that occur as the grade of the incline increases. In addition, the demands on your muscles cause increased lactic acid build up compounding fatigue.
Nevertheless, there are many benefits to hill training. There are also changes that occur to your running mechanics and energy expenditure when you run hills. You can train to improve your ability to run hills. It just takes a little intestinal fortitude.
Summary: Running on hills can be fatiguing compared to running on level ground. Nevertheless, practicing it can be helpful to improve your running mechanics and ability on all types of terrain.
Brief review of running mechanics.
Running has similar components to walking. The one thing that differentiates the two activities is the moment where both feet leave the ground. This is known as flight time. In walking, there is no moment where both feet are off the ground, no matter how fast you move.
Running mechanics begin with one foot hitting the ground. This is initial contact. Then, the body travels over the foot on the ground in what is called mid stance. Next the body travels past the foot in what is called terminal stance. At this moment the foot leaves the ground and the body is in the air.
The foot swings through at this point and goes through the initial, mid and terminal swing phases.
The time it takes the foot to travel through a complete cycle determines how fast the body moves forward. Both feet are obviously moving during this cycle. The time it takes for the foot to initially hit the ground and travel through the cycle of landing on the ground and swinging through is called a stride.
Summary: Running differs from walking in that it involves a moment where neither foot is in contact with the ground. This is flight. The cycle of 1 foot hitting the ground, contacting it, and swinging through the air to contact the ground again is called a stride.
Uphill running mechanics:
As you ascend a hill the ground comes up quick and you have to work harder to get your body to travel upwards against the forces of gravity. To accommodate, your legs move faster. Consequently, your stride length will decrease. There is also a shorter flight time during the running cycle. During the initial contact phase, the midfoot or forefoot are going to contact first. (1)
This will increase the amount of energy needed to overcome gravity and continue to travel up the hill. More muscle force is needed to keep moving.
In addition, to the changes in mechanics, there is an increase in energy expenditure. The heart and lungs will have to work hard to continue supplying the muscles with oxygen to do their job. Consequently, heart rate and breathing rate increase to maintain speed. In fact, one study found a 15% increase in heart rate comparing level ground to running at a 7% grade. (2)
The buttocks, hamstrings, and calves are the primary muscles needed to keep you moving forward.
Summary: Increased muscle force is needed to propel your body uphill against the forces of gravity. It involves a shorter flight time, decreased stride length. Increased energy is expended and heart rate and breathing increase to accommodate.
Downhill running mechanics
Downhill running can be less energy demanding as the body is descending. The stride rate will tend to decrease to a more preferred rate unless you consciously increase it. The stride length will increase.
There is less energy expenditure and the heart and lungs will work less. The front thigh muscles (the quadriceps) will be working harder to decelerate the body and keep your body under control. This becomes more apparent the steeper the grade you are descending.
In fact, one review in the European Journal of Applied Physiology found that prolonged running downhill induced more tissue damage that was comparable to running up more extreme grades. (3)
Summary: Downhill running requires less energy. Stride length increases and there is greater flight time. Less energy is expended. However, the thighs have to work harder to decelerate the body.
Improving running performance on hills
Practice. One important thing to remember is practice. Getting acclimated to hill running takes consistent practice. You can play with your pace and stride to find the optimal one for you.
In addition, add running on a variety of different grades to work on adjusting to steeper and less step grades. See how much you need to change your pace depending on the grade to be able to continue running. There may be times when walking is more efficient than running.
Also, there is the mental game of hill running. Knowing that you are about to ascend a steeper grade for 100 feet is easier than knowing you have to ascend that same grade for 1 mile.
Longer distances can challenge your resilience and make it tougher to maintain a good pace. Practicing this can be helpful, especially if you are going to race and have a specific goal in mind.
Interval Training. Try some interval training. Interval training has been linked to improving your cardiovascular ability. This will help meet the demand placed on your heart and lungs when running uphill as well as work on your speed. To add even more challenge add an incline to the interval. For instance, instead of just running at a 7:30 pace for 800 meters, add doing it running uphill for more challenge.
If you live in a flat area, such as South Florida, you can still train hills using an alternative strategy. Obviously you can do hill intervals on a treadmill very easily. Another option is finding a steep bridge to run over. Also, there is the alternative of using stairs as a training tool. Stair running is challenging but the movement utilizes the same muscle groups and patterns.
Strength Training. Add some strength training. The research regarding strength training and running performance has been conflicting. One clinical review of multiple studies cited improved running economy, while another showed no significant difference. Also, the review did cite that there was a lack of quality studies and that they felt it was helpful to improve running performance. (4)
Yet, given the increased force needed to propel yourself uphill as well as the force needed to control your body during descent, strength training can be helpful to improve control during these two moments.
Running Mechanics. Work on running mechanics. If you struggle with running hills, try changing your mechanics. When ascending hills, try shortening your stride and see if this helps improve your forward momentum. As the grade of the hill increases, it may be helpful to hinge forward mildly at the hips. This keeps your center of gravity moving forward.
Consequently, try lengthening your stride when descending hills.
Summary: Ways to improve your ability to run hills include interval running (increasing speed and/or grade during intervals), muscular strengthening, and working on running form.
Final words
Hills can be a challenging part of any running routine. They are inevitable in many races and are a wonderful adjunct to any training routine. Your running mechanics will change when running hills. Consequently, your energy expenditure will also change.
You can improve your ability to run hills through interval training, strength training and improving running mechanics. You may even learn to love hills. Or at least tolerate them better. Enjoy!
