I write a lot about how to run faster. I share workouts, running tips, and general information about how runners can train to be better at their sport.
I was intrigued by a comment on one of my posts a few years ago. I was asked if losing weight was important in order to run faster. That is quite a complex question, and while I answered to the best of my ability at the time, I wanted to do a little research and address the question fully. Here is the question:
I think that is a great question. Because it’s true, isn’t it? When you look at the runners who win, both men and women, they are frequently very lean, and sometimes quite petite. Here is my original response:
As you can see, my answer was a little on the lines of “yes, but no, but yes, and be careful.”
Will I Run Faster if I Weigh Less?
It is a complex question if only because runners can be intense types who can fall into the trap of thinking if a little weight loss is good, more would be better.
Improving your V02 Max is one way of getting faster. V02 Max is the maximum amount of oxygen a given runner can use per unit time per unit body mass. That means the lighter a runner is at a certain fitness level, the faster they will run (at least in theory). Remember, though, that not all excess weight is body fat. Muscle weight is entirely different and can contribute to performance despite its high density.
Estimates concerning an ideal weight for performance can vary. While some running coaches would say that the ideal weight for a distance runner would be about 10-15% below the median weight, frequently world class distance runners can be up to 10% below that. But while these world class runners perform much better at weights significantly below average, there must be limits in terms of what is beneficial or even healthy.
So how much does weight loss affect speed? Joe Henderson, the author of many books on running and training, estimates that a runner with a 10-pound weight loss can run 20 seconds per mile faster. That being said, you still have to look at the big picture. If a man who is six feet tall and weighs 200 pounds loses 10 pounds of fat, he will increase his speed by that 20 seconds per mile (on average). What if that man already weighs 170? Would a 10-pound weight loss lead to the same speed gain? Or would the possible loss of muscle actually slow him down?
Using myself as an example, I probably weighed around 145 when I was training seriously, maybe a pound or two less. I am 5’8″, and that is a good weight for me. I know that when I get below 140 I certainly look like a distance runner because my cheeks tend to cave in. Would I have run faster though? I don’t know.
One of the problems with the thought that weight loss leads to speed gains is, as I alluded to above, that many runners take it too far. They may feel that if they just lose another five or 10 pounds, they will get the edge they need. This can lead not only to eating disorders, but to increased injuries and illnesses, decreased performance, and for women, the Female Athlete Triad, the combination of disordered eating, bone loss, and cessation of the menstrual cycle.
So while the typical American may be out of shape and overweight and could benefit from a weight loss program, competitive runners are typically much closer to an ideal weight, both for health and performance purposes. Remember that more is not always better.
In conclusion, I would say that if you are overweight, even moderately, some weight loss will help you become faster. If you are already at a healthy weight for your height, be very careful about further weight loss, because while it may lead to slightly better race times, there may be other consequences to your health and to your future performance.
Remember, I am a personal trainer and a coach, not a doctor or psychologist. I wrote my own opinions, researched and read other opinions to write this post. You should always do what is right for you and your body, and if you are in doubt about what that is, you should speak with your own doctor.
This post originally appeared on Live from La Quinta in May 2013.
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Great post! So glad you addressed this issue. I have been in ED recovery for a few years now so I know how just the idea of losing weight to help get better at something can be tempting to some people. People with eating disorders are usually perfectionists.So I could see some people taking it the wrong way. Sorry I am rambling lol! Love this post!
One of my biggest fears as a coach of young people is that the teenagers that I work with will develop eating disorders in their quest to become better runners. Teenage girls in particular, have so much pressure to be thin, then add in what on the surface looks like a legitimate reason for weight loss, and you have a potential recipe for problems. I was rambling a little too. Thanks! 🙂
Excellent information, very well said!
Thanks Lisa.
Great post!!! This past weekend I PR’ed my 10k race 25 pounds heavier than I was when I set the last record. I think at that point I was way too thin, bordering on an ED and I had to learn that I am faster and stronger when I am properly fueled. Thought I work harder at this weight and once a find a happy balance somewhere in the middle I will surely improve my times, skinny or thin aren’t always what is best for your body!
Excellent point. One of the commenters further down the page, Douglas, spoke to adding muscle, which will make you weigh more, but you will be leaner and stronger. That runners should focus on how their clothes fit, not at numbers on a scale.
I love the balanced, thorough, considered approach to this question. You are a true fitness pro!
Thank you so much Kymberly. That means a lot to me.
SO well stated
It’s a slippery slope with weight loss etc as we all seem to think it is the magic EVERYTHING bullet…
So, so true. And runners think that way more than many because it is true to a certain extent.
Well said Debbie.
Very well explained Debbie!
I have often wondered if losing a few pounds would help me go faster — and I think that it would. However, it’s really hard to deviate from my natural, happy weight and I don’t think it’d be worth it. CErtainly an interesting topic of conversation though!
It is definitely a complex question which leads to even more questions. It depends on current weight, goals, muscle vs. fat weight. Plus there are a lot of psychological implications. Some people are more prone to develop eating disorders and could potentially get caught up in the belief that losing even more weight would lead to faster times.
Great advice! Being lighter definitely helps but at a point its a slippery slope for sure.
So true. I was almost scared to talk about it. But it needs to be talked about.
I think you addressed this perfectly. VO2 max goes up with weight loss, but there is a limit. Go too far, and not only are you in danger of the female athlete triad, but you won’t have the energy required for the workouts, either. It’s never easy, is it?
Thank you. On the surface it’s and easy question, but the first thought that came to my mind when asked was, “it’s complicated.”
Yes, agreed! and it really comes down to a science, ya know?! too far is dangerous. Wells aid friends!
You make some great points. Sometimes we can get to focused on numbers to the detriment of our health. But reaching a healthy weight can improve speed and improve how running feels. I know my runs feel dramatically different from when I started trying to run and was about 10 lbs heavier.
Absolutely true. What always scares me as a fitness professional is knowing that runners tend to think if a little is good, then more must be better. I have to watch my cross country runners so carefully, especially the girls. The new runners frequently have some weight to lose, and when they do you really have to educate them. And it’s not like teenage girls don’t get enough pressure about their weight and looks already!
Well said!
one big thing you forgot to mention, muscle weighs more then fat, but takes up less space. as you train you build muscle and burn fat. it often can happen that you actually gain weight, especially if you are getting significantly stronger or faster, but you can actually be thinner and have lower body fat. as an athletic trainer i tell my athletes not to focus on what the number on the scale says, but more on how their clothes fit. if really worried about how ‘fat’ they are to get tape measure and measure their waist regularly or get body fat checked with calipers. actual weight, and height/weight charts can be very misleading. in high school and college i had 5% body fat (cross country runner) but according to height/weight charts at doctors office i was borderline obese because i was all muscle. so don’t worry about the scale, a mirror and your clothes tell you more…
I think this is so true, especially for my body type — what I’d call “skinny fat.” I’m on the lower end of the healthy weight range, but I have excess belly fat that I’d love to convert into muscle! I think we (as a society) focus too much on calories and pounds instead of more important metrics like nutrition and body fat %.
Remember that gaining muscle can help your performance, strengthen your bones, and improve your metabolism. Also remember that fat can’t be converted to muscle. We can only lose fat, and gain muscle through appropriate strength training. And improving strength in your core will definitely improve your running.
Great points. Yes, it is so true that muscle gain (along with fat loss) can lead to actual weight gain, something that will send most runners into a panic if they are not aware of what is happening. The idea of clothing fit, or actual measurements is a great one. And if the runner is training in such a way to improve speed they should see improvement in their running time.
I still think there is a small little bug that sits on our shoulder that whispers less weight = more speed. Your runners are fortunate that they have you to remind them of the truth about body mass. Not everybody has a coach or trainer, though, so I hope to educate a few people. I thank you for adding to the conversation.
I am old enough to remember when coaches were the ones to insist that their runners lose more and more weight. In fact, I’m sure it still happens in many instances.
Thank you for a great answer to a question which is more complex than it seems. So many variables goes into this equation. I guess it’s best for me that if you are overweight, loosing weight will improve your speed. If your weight is ideal for your body type., losing weight might be a disadvantage for you.
That is true. Taking all the psychological issues out of it, yes, if you’re overweight, you can probably get after if you get down to your healthy weight. If you are an ideal weight, probably not.
oh, and therefore you may actually improve performance/get faster by putting on weight instead of losing it. there is a point when too much muscle weight may slow you down, but generally the extra weight from muscle will make you faster, even for ultrarunners…
Great post. I did lose about 10 lbs before my last marathon (not by choice but lost it all the same) and carved 11 minutes off my time. I’m 5’8 and was about 146 before the weight loss. I found that the perceived effort was the same but I guess, the lower weight, translanted to a faster time.
That’s true. It takes less energy to move less mass. There is no doubt that losing weight to achieve a healthy, lean weight will help you run faster. What makes it so complex is the idea that, hmm, will another 10 pounds make me even faster? It is easy to get caught up in that concept, even for healthy people with no history of disordered eating. That’s when it can lead to problems.
Oh for sure…I can definitely see that. My weight loss probably won’t last, but enjoyed it while it did. I certainly wouldn’t take it down any more. It just wouldn’t be a healthy weight for me.
Great, balanced post. Thank you for your thoughtful blog.
I would love to lose weight from running, but have quickly thrown that out the window. Because I have a voracious appetite after running. Especially for hamburgers and ice cold beer!
Haha! That is a problem sometimes for people who take up running to lose weight. While it is a great calorie burner it does make you hungrier.
Thank you for this!
You’re welcome. I hope it answers some questions for you.
Such an interesting post!!! Thx for sharing all this & your views & insights!!!
Thanks Jody, glad you enjoyed it.
Such an interesting post Debbie! And to a question that I’ve never given much thought to (I don’t train many runners).
I love your thorough and balanced approach! In fitness, there really is no hard and fast answer that applies to all, is there?
Thanks, Tamara. This is the question that always kind of scares me to answer. There is a lot of disordered eating in high-level running, simply because of the idea that you will run better if you weigh less. And a lot of people who already tend toward disordered eating use running as their fitness of choice…it’s such a good calorie burner. So I am always hesitant when I answer the question. Hopefully, this explains it pretty well.
Great post as I’ve often wondered this myself! Although I would like to drop about 10 lbs, I know that i need to work on my endurance as well. For me, taking spinning classes helps a lot with this, so I’ll be incorporating that into my marathon training.
I’m pretty sure most runners think of this at one point or another. It’s hard not to notice that the really fast ones are pretty thin.
This is certainly a complex issue and I am not sure there is a one size fits all answer. So many other issues play into running speed. My trainer and I have talked about this a lot this year. Thanks for sharing your thoughts
It’s definitely complex. So many different factors come into play.
Thanks for the informative post. Weight loss is such a tricky thing, because like you said, sometimes people can take it too far. During my postpartum journey last year, I struggled to keep weight on, and no matter how much I ate I couldn’t seem to keep up with my son’s milk demands AND maintain a “healthy” weight. Now that I’m done with breastfeeding, I’ve gained a few pounds more than I would have liked and am struggling to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight. My running is certainly affected by this, and I’m doing the best that I can to find balance in everything.
Balance really is the key. Many of us are not happy with our weight, for whatever reason, and it can be difficult to find that point where you get the best results.
Great post! This is such a loaded question. So many variables to consider! Even if one drops a few pounds, they still need to put in the miles and training to achieve a certain time goal. Just losing a few pounds won’t automatically make you faster??
Such an interesting question. Thanks for sharing!!
All thing being equal, which they never are, theoretically losing a few pounds can help you run faster.
Great read! Definitely seems like a complicated topic and so subjective as well.
It really is a tough question to answer. Dealing with weight issues, unless you actually know and are working with a person are so difficult.
Great info! It can be such a slippery slope when athletes want to slim down to get faster. I think if someone is already at a healthy weight, and they eat well and do the right workouts, they may lose a little weight naturally and should be at a good racing weight. I also think its important to gain a little weight back during the off season (if you lost it for your race).
I think what is so difficult about the weight loss question is simply that you’re dealing with something really personal that can have so many deep feelings associated with it. As a high school cross country coach I had to be very careful about what I said.
Weight is a tricky thing–weigh too much, you lose performance, too little, lose performance, and in both cases, you can get njured! It can be hard to find your body’s happy place
And it can be hard to know what is your body’s happy place.
Of course the number on the scale doesn’t tell it all, either. Doesn’t tell body fat %, for instance. You can be skinny fat and maybe unable to run well because of it (not my problem — and my cheeks never cave in!).
I know many, many runners who are much heavier than me (for their body type) and yet much, much faster than me.
It IS a complex question.
I know I feel better if my weight is down — my clothes fit better & that makes me feel better. Does it make me run better? I don’t think so. I am at a healthy weight — but just barely. I’d like to perpetually lose 5 pounds, but chances are it wouldn’t make a big difference to my speed.
It’s not weight alone that determines how fast we are, but I feel like too many people, even those of normal weight, can depend on weight loss to “make them faster.” No, it’s not really based on common sense, but weight is such a tricky issue that many things about it don’t always make sense.
This is something I have often thought about. I have no interest in losing weight (well, maybe those 3-4 pesky ones that crept up on me over the winter), but just in general I wonder about the weight vs. speed thing. How much muscle mass we really need (for performance) and how much is lost when we drop weight. And, do we gain any speed as a result, or is it a wash…since we’ll have less weight, but less “strength” to make our body perform. Great post! Very thought-provoking 😉
Exactly! In my opinion that answer comes down to way more than science and just saying that carrying less weight requires less effort, therefore…you get the idea.
Really great points! When I first started running, I weighed a lot less than I do now…and I was definitely faster! But now I wouldn’t dream to be at that size again and I’m getting closer to the pace I had with more disciplined training.
There are a lot of things to take into account. And that’s not even counting the mental part of it all.
I think it’s kind of like anything-balance! Not too much extra weight, but also not too lean that you’re weak. Every body has an equilibrium -the key is to find it.
I agree and wish it was as simple as that. Unfortunately, runners have complex minds and weight is such a tricky subject. Ask most women, even those who look and perform great, and you’ll find they want to lose that “last five pounds.”
Good in-depth thoughts on weight and running speed. I feel the main consideration is what makes up the weight, muscle or fat. As long as the weight is lost as fat, it would make the runner faster.
That is probably true as far as the science of the issue goes. People who lose too much weight and start to lose muscle will not see the benefits. What makes is complex is our deep feelings about our weight.