The Differences In Running Form On A Track & A Treadmill

Your running form changes on different surfaces. Electric treadmills' moving belts force you to coordinate your balance mechanisms in ways different from track running, which requires complete self-propulsion and biomechanical adjustments to overcome air resistance. In the case of banked tracks, which slope upwards at the turns, positional changes from head to toe help accommodate centrifugal forces absent from the treadmill.

Foot And Leg Biomechanics

With treadmill running, your legs becoming less propulsion-oriented and more balance-oriented, according to Peak Performance Online. This affects foot impact, stride length and stride frequency. When your foot hits the belt, it compresses and even momentarily slows it, adding an almost imperceptible hiccup to your stride. This does not occur on a track. Also, your foot is in contact with a treadmill's belt longer than it would be with a track's surface. The belt literally hugs and transports your foot, and lengthens your stride behind you -- not optimal for distance runners, who benefit more from shorter strides and quicker foot-strikes.

Air Resistance And Treadmill Inclines

Oxygen consumption and energy expenditure are greater for track runners than treadmill runners, mainly due to air resistance, reports Kinetic Ideas. Higher speeds create more drag, so the faster you run, the more resistance you must overcome. On a treadmill you can create resistance by increasing "hill" steepness -- but your form changes; the steeper the incline, the more you lean forward and the slower your stride. On a banked track, the curves' slight incline actually helps control your momentum; your torso remains erect, your strides short and fast.

Observable Leg Biomechanics

In 1983, "Medicine & Science In Sports & Exercise" published Barry Frishberg's biomechanical analyses of treadmill and track running. Frishberg observed five varsity sprinters performing 100-yard track sprints after 10 preparatory treadmill sessions. Frishberg noted differences in the supporting leg's positions. On the treadmill, when the runner's foot hit the belt, it hit with moderate force, the supporting leg's thigh was more vertical, the knee had more flex, and the stride extended further to the rear. On the track, the runner's foot hit the track hard and fast, whipped the leg underneath the body and exploded the leg off the ground in a compressed stride. Furthermore, in 2005 a foot-pronation study reported in the "Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association" showed that soft, wide treadmill belts create abnormal foot positioning and lateral rolling when compared to hard-surface foot dynamics.

Arms And Head

While treadmill running, tensing your upper body and arms can help you balance in response to the belt's motion, confirms Pose Tech. On a track, relaxing your upper body allows your lower limbs maximum force and and surface control. A relaxed neck allows your head to naturally tilt and turn; this helps you anticipate track curvature and other runners' moves. On the treadmill, you should never look around or behind you; this destabilizes, and falling off the belt could incur serious injury. Prior to any treadmill training, seek instruction on proper treadmill use.