The benefits of trail running poles

INTRO

No runner in the field of top finishers can sustain a race like UTMB without poles. It’s common sense for world-class and amateur athletes to make poles a must-have part of their gear for longer races with significant elevation change. So, what is the magic behind poles? To better understand the effects of using poles, science is looking at it from two perspectives. First, the biomechanical view - How they change our body’s movement and especially our muscles’ activity. Secondly, the metabolic view - The chemical processes in our body, the amount of oxygen we can take in, and our heart rate.

BIOMECHANICS

While hardly a revelation, the practical take-home message for athletes is that using poles can reduce the workload of the legs and direct the effort to the upper body. This work comes at an oxygen cost (that will be discussed later), but the old anecdote that poles saved an ultrarunner’s legs deep into a race has some scientific merit behind it. Research indicates that stride length increases, leading to a higher speed (Willson et al. [1]). At the same time, the ground reaction and joint force decrease, putting less stress on lower limbs and allowing runners to stay fresh for longer distances. When running, the lower extremities need to do most of the physical work. Every bit of load that can be transferred to arms, shoulders, and the core saves your legs from wearing out after hours of running.

METABOLISM

Your biomechanics change when you use poles. Summarizing, most of the results show a significant increase in oxygen demand, heart rate, and energy expenditure during pole usage. Some research shows a significantly lower perception of intensity during steeper ascents and descents. Furthermore, reduced soreness, quicker recovery, and increased walking speed when using poles were recognized. Basically, you pay for saving your legs with a higher cardiovascular effort, which explains why poles are less effective on shorter distances. Over longer distances, the benefits of poles are magnified. In Ultras with significant elevation change, poles are absolutely crucial. Have you heard of anyone who has a DNF because of a cramp in the biceps? Likely not.

CONCLUSION

While there is still research to be done to evaluate the perfect pole length and determine the ideal technique for various courses and specific energy levels, there is little doubt that running with poles is exceptionally beneficial. LEKI expects and supports an evolution in how poles will be used in Ultra and Trail Running. Even today, we can see more and more LEKI athletes choosing longer poles as their technique improves and they learn how to apply the maximum leverage to maximize propulsion and performance.

Supported by the Chair of Biomechanics, University of Bayreuth, Germany.