How to Improve Your Running Performance: A Physiotherapist’s Evidence-Based Guide

Whether you’re chasing a new 5K PR, training for your first marathon, or simply looking to run more efficiently, optimising your performance is about more than just clocking more kilometres. As a physiotherapist, I often see runners overlook key components that can either boost performance or increase injury risk. This guide pulls together the latest and best evidence to help you run stronger, longer, and smarter.

1. Strength Training: A Non-Negotiable for Runners

One of the most robust findings in recent sports medicine literature is the performance-enhancing power of strength training. A 2023 systematic review published in Sports Medicine showed that runners who incorporated resistance training 2–3 times per week improved their running economy by up to 8%—without gaining excess muscle mass.

Key exercises to prioritise:

• Single-leg squats and deadlifts (improve stability and propulsion)

• Calf raises (for Achilles tendon strength and elastic return)

• Hip thrusts and glute bridges (hip extension power)

Physio tip: Eccentric and isometric variations are especially valuable for tendon health and injury prevention.

2. Cadence Optimisation and Gait Retraining

Running form matters, but not everyone needs a complete overhaul. However, one consistent factor in injury and performance literature is step rate (cadence).

What the evidence says:

• Increasing cadence by 5–10% can reduce impact forces and joint loading, especially at the knee (Heiderscheit et al., 2011).

• Higher cadence is associated with improved running economy in sub-elite athletes (Moore, 2016).

Physio tip: Try short bursts of high-cadence running on the treadmill (e.g., 1-minute intervals) to develop neuromuscular adaptation gradually.

3. Plyometrics: Power Without the Mileage

Plyometric exercises—such as bounding, hops, and box jumps—train your neuromuscular system to use the stretch-shortening cycle more effectively, leading to better running economy.

Latest findings:

A 2022 meta-analysis (Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research) found that plyometric training 2x/week for 6–8 weeks significantly improved 3K and 5K times in both recreational and elite runners.

Sample exercises:

• Hurdle hops

• Depth jumps

• Skater bounds

Physio tip: Focus on landing softly with good alignment; poor form can increase injury risk more than the gains are worth.

4. Load Management and Recovery

Overtraining remains a primary driver of injury and performance plateaus. The concept of Acute:Chronic Workload Ratio (ACWR) remains a useful model. Ideally, you increase your weekly training volume by no more than 10–20% compared to your 4-week rolling average.

New evidence:

Wearables with HRV (heart rate variability) tracking offer a personalised way to monitor recovery and avoid burnout. Recent studies in endurance athletes show HRV-guided training leads to better performance gains than fixed training plans (Kiviniemi et al., 2024).

Physio tip: If your morning HRV is low for more than 2–3 days in a row, it’s time for a recovery day—not a tempo run.

5. Mobility and Stability: Precision Beats Stretching

While long, static stretching pre-run has largely fallen out of favor, targeted mobility and dynamic warm-ups can improve movement efficiency and reduce injury risk.

6. Nutrition and Hydration for Endurance

Performance isn’t just physical—it’s biochemical. The latest position stand by the International Society of Sports Nutrition (2023) recommends:

• Carbohydrate intake of 30–60g per hour for runs over 90 minutes

• Daily protein intake of 1.6–2.2g/kg of body weight to support tissue recovery

• Sodium replenishment during hot weather runs to maintain neuromuscular efficiency

Physio tip: If you feel sluggish mid-run, it may not be overtraining—it could be under-fueling.

7. Mental Conditioning and Focus

Elite runners increasingly incorporate cognitive training and mindfulness into their routines. A 2023 RCT (Journal of Applied Sport Psychology) found that runners who practiced brief mindfulness sessions before runs had better perceived effort control and ran longer in time-to-exhaustion trials.

Try this: Before your next session, spend 2 minutes focusing on your breath and setting a mental cue (“light and fast,” “strong and steady”).

Takeaway: Train Smarter, Not Just Harder

Improving your running performance doesn’t require doubling your mileage or overhauling your form. By layering strength training, smart recovery, mobility, and mental focus—backed by the latest physiotherapy and sports science—you can become a more efficient, injury-resistant, and high-performing runner.

Need a personalised assessment?

As a physiotherapists, we offer performance screenings to identify biomechanical inefficiencies and create custom strength and recovery plans. Reach out or book an appointment to get started.