Movement Economy – Why Efficiency Beats Effort in Endurance Performance
- Jan 21
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 22
Dr. Osvaldo Cooley, PhD, is an expert in body transformation, metabolic performance, and longevity. As the founder of The Elite Hub, Dr Os helps high-performing individuals achieve visible, lasting results through advanced diagnostics, personalised recovery strategies, and specialised body contouring therapies.
In endurance sport, most athletes believe performance is built by pushing harder, increasing volume, or raising intensity. Yet when we look at elite performers, those who race fast, recover well, and remain competitive for decades, a different pattern emerges. They are not simply stronger or fitter. They are more economical. Movement economy is one of the most powerful, and most misunderstood, determinants of endurance performance. It explains why two athletes with similar VO₂ max values can produce vastly different race outcomes.
What is movement economy?
Movement economy refers to how much energy an athlete expends to maintain a given speed or workload. In other words, it measures how efficiently the body converts metabolic energy into forward motion.
An athlete with good movement economy uses less oxygen, produces less waste, and experiences less physiological stress at the same pace compared to a less economical athlete.
This is why efficiency, not effort, ultimately determines endurance success.
Why Vo₂ max alone is not enough
VO₂ max represents the size of the engine. Movement economy determines how efficiently that engine is used.
In metabolic testing, it is common to see athletes with high VO₂ max scores but poor movement economy. These athletes often feel strong early in races but fade later, struggle with pacing, and accumulate fatigue quickly.
Elite endurance athletes, by contrast, often win races not by having the highest VO₂ max, but by wasting the least energy per stride, pedal stroke, or step.
The metabolic cost of inefficiency
Poor movement economy increases the metabolic cost of exercise. This leads to:
Higher heart rate at submaximal intensities
Faster glycogen depletion
Earlier transition from fat to carbohydrate metabolism
Increased ventilatory demand
Accelerated fatigue
Over time, inefficiency compounds. Every unnecessary movement, postural collapse, or loss of rhythm increases energy expenditure, especially in long events such as trail races, ultramarathons, and obstacle races.
The role of strength and stability
Movement economy is not purely cardiovascular. It is heavily influenced by neuromuscular efficiency, strength balance, and postural control.
Weak stabilisers, poor trunk control, or inefficient force transfer cause energy leaks. The body compensates by recruiting additional muscles, increasing oxygen demand without producing more speed.
This is why strength training, when done intelligently, improves endurance performance rather than slowing athletes down.
Economy under fatigue
One of the most revealing aspects of movement economy is how it changes under fatigue.
Many athletes move well early in sessions but deteriorate as fatigue accumulates. Posture collapses, stride length shortens, breathing becomes chaotic, and energy expenditure rises.
Elite athletes maintain efficient movement patterns even when tired. This is not accidental. It is trained.
Improving movement economy
Movement economy improves through a combination of:
Consistent Zone 2 training to stabilise technique at low stress
Strength training to improve force application and joint stability
Breathing coordination to reduce unnecessary tension
Technical awareness during long sessions
Fatigue-resistant neuromuscular training
Importantly, economy does not improve by simply “trying harder.” It improves through deliberate, low-ego practice.
The longevity advantage
Efficient athletes place less cumulative stress on their joints, cardiovascular system, and nervous system. Over years of training, this translates to reduced injury risk, better recovery, and an extended athletic lifespan.
In endurance sport, efficiency is the bridge between performance and longevity.
Efficiency is the silent advantage
The fastest athletes are not always the ones working the hardest. They are the ones wasting the least. When athletes shift their focus from output to efficiency, training becomes more sustainable, performance becomes more repeatable, and results follow naturally.
Understanding your movement economy requires more than subjective observation. At The Elite Hub, advanced VO₂ max and mobility testing allow us to quantify efficiency, identify energy leaks, and design training strategies that optimise performance without unnecessary strain. Because in endurance sport, the goal is not to do more. It is to do better.
Read more from Osvaldo Cooley, PhD
Osvaldo Cooley, PhD, Dermal Clinician & Body Contouring Specialist
Dr. Osvaldo Cooley, PhD, is a leading expert in body transformation, metabolic performance, and longevity. A former athlete, his promising career was cut short by injuries that sparked a passion for understanding recovery and performance optimisation. Drawing from his personal journey and extensive research, Dr. Os developed proven techniques to help men and women transform their bodies, improve fitness, and boost long-term health. As the founder of The Elite Hub, he empowers high-performing individuals to achieve visible, lasting results through advanced diagnostics and personalised strategies.
