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The Science of Running: How to find your limit and train to maximize your performance

Steve Magness (Goodreads Author)

4.14 · Rating details · 500 ratings · 33 reviews

If you are looking for how to finish your first 5k, this book isn't for you. The Science of Running is written for those of us looking to maximize our performance, get as close to our limits as possible, and more than anything find out how good we can be, or how good our athletes can be. In The Science of Running, elite coach and exercise physiologist Steve Magness integr ...more

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Kindle Edition, 344 pages

Published February 17th 2014 by Origin Press (first published February 16th 2014)

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Feb 21, 2014 Matthew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: exercise

Running literature is rife with gimmicks and fluff for 2 very simple reasons:
1. doing something works better than doing nothing.
2. the capacity and propensity to adapt to training varies widely

The first is why previously couch bound sedentary humans might see improvement from silly exercise regimens that have a low improvement ceiling. The second results in testimonials about gimmicky programming from those who tend to adapt quickly to any stimulus.

In the first section, Steve Magness provides t Running literature is rife with gimmicks and fluff for 2 very simple reasons:
1. doing something works better than doing nothing.
2. the capacity and propensity to adapt to training varies widely

The first is why previously couch bound sedentary humans might see improvement from silly exercise regimens that have a low improvement ceiling. The second results in testimonials about gimmicky programming from those who tend to adapt quickly to any stimulus.

In the first section, Steve Magness provides the reader a background review of running physiology. It includes more recent research than most books in the physiology/training niche (Daniels, Hansons . . . etc.) but bridging the gap for non-scientist readers is a bit of a fool's errand. Much of what is presented is not necessarily scientific gospel- but scientific consensus is rare even in the realm of exercise physiology. I'd still refer most runners to Dr. Timothy Noakes and the Lore of Running for a mostly complete, if outdated, review of running physiology.

Training manuals tend to follow a predictable outline:
1. running woo (motivation, history, touchy feely stuff)
2. basic physiology
3. what other popular programs got wrong (whatever the current book markets as its secret ingredient)
4. secret ingredient
5. conclusion- every runner follow this exact 16 week program

Part II of The Science of Running instead provides coaches and self-coached runners with woo-free tools to design programs appropriate for a runner, rather than shoving a variety of athletes into a one-size fits all box. Magness explains how to diagnose a runner's strengths and weaknesses and then specifies which workouts will improve a weakness or take advantage of a strength (and why). Workout types are matched with the physiological attributes they improve and the resulting impacts on performance. Furthermore, suggested variations on workout types to tailor it to specific athletes, adaptations, or training seasons are included. My only knock on it would be that the examples provided will leave the majority of runners feeling intimidated by the world-class speeds shown.

My favorite training manual published thus far. ...more

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Nov 08, 2014 Jon rated it it was ok

A big disappointment, as I normally find Steve's blog very informative. Unfortunately this book is very difficult, and not because of the material.

First, it is painfully typo-ridden and misformatted, with Random Capitalization, homonyms, simple letter transpositions, and tables with cut-off contents. Second, it is disjoint on scales large and small. There's a lot of fat to cut and both the first half (which does read like a thesis introduction that grew out of control and was dumped in unedited, ...more

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Mar 25, 2014 John rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014, running-books

(originally published in Canadian Running Magazine, along with this interview: http://runningmagazine.ca/interview-s...)

The Science of Running by Steve Magness is a seminal work in training literature. If you want to improve as a runner, or as a coach, you should read this book as I can almost guarantee that you will learn something. In fact, one of the themes of the book is that improvement comes from change. Of course, you need to be consistent in your training, but the body reacts to stimuli (originally published in Canadian Running Magazine, along with this interview: http://runningmagazine.ca/interview-s...)

The Science of Running by Steve Magness is a seminal work in training literature. If you want to improve as a runner, or as a coach, you should read this book as I can almost guarantee that you will learn something. In fact, one of the themes of the book is that improvement comes from change. Of course, you need to be consistent in your training, but the body reacts to stimuli in order to strengthen and grow. If the training isn’t stimulating the body, then the body won’t change and performance won’t improve. The same goes for your knowledge as a runner or coach. You may be happy and comfortable with your training plan, but if you want to get better, you have to push the limits of your knowledge. This book will help you do that.

Before I go on, I have to address what was a great disappointment to me about this book. There are typos and grammatical errors on every page. It seems as if there was no editing done whatsoever before publication. I’ve been following Magness’ blog for years, and I understand he’s no English major, but in the ephemeral online world, this is not a problem. The decision to publish a book, however, gives one the opportunity to clean all of that up. My fear here is that some will dismiss the excellent knowledge in this book based on the decidedly unprofessional presentation. I sincerely hope there is a tidied up 2nd edition.

The reason why this book should stand among, or even surpass Lydiard, Daniels and Coe, is that Magness combines the cumulative and acquired knowledge of coaches with the latest in scientific developments. Magness gets beyond the scientist who insists that the lab results are THE way to train, and bring an analysis of that data to the coach who claims his or her real world experience trumps what is done in the artificial atmosphere of the lab. He recognises the failings of many so-called important scientific discoveries, and of these big name training books: that they rely on average results to prescribe training for specific cases.

The general principles that we find in Lydiard, Daniels and Coe are sound, but they do not account for individual variation. One of the useful discoveries of science is that over time, we’ve learned that runners lay upon a spectrum of fast to slow twitch muscle fibres. Magness proposes that the training for each individual should vary depending on muscle fibre type. This is not a new idea, (John Hadd’s training is based on this principle) but it is new to see it in the context of an entire training system.

The other main idea that may rankle is Magness’ dismissal of VO2max as the prime indicator of aerobic fitness. It has been a few years since he published on his blog his literary review of aerobic training concepts, but those of us who downloaded it then will not be surprised at the stance he takes on this hollowed marker. The science says that VO2max does not correlate directly with performance. There are instances of runners increasing VO2max scores, yet having decreased performances, as well as improved performances being accompanied by a steady maintenance of the VO2max. Magness’ solution to this conundrum is to stop using percentages of VO2max as a way of setting workouts. Instead, he suggests that runners focus on what’s most practical: race paces. It makes sense: while running at 80% of VO2max may elicit some physiological changes, running at 10k pace will teach your body what it actually needs to know.

To be fair, most training books say pretty much the same thing, and this one is no different: there are several ingredients, and they must be mixed and matched appropriately to the race distance and to the individual athlete involved. However, Steve Magness’ The Science Of Running is the first that I’ve read that acknowledges the limitations of the science, as well as emphasizes the importance of individual variation. It is not a recipe book. It is a shopping list. It is left to the reader to consider the needs and appetite of the family. ...more

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May 26, 2018 Ha Truong rated it liked it

Shelves: running

More than enough for who just love to run and run for fitness. It's perfect for sport scientist and coach and who want to maximize their performance. ...more

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Sep 24, 2017 Andrew rated it really liked it

Title & Author: The Science of Running: How to Find Your Limit and Train to Maximize Your Performance by Steve Magness
Publisher & Year: Origin Press; 2014

REVIEW:
“The training of endurance athletes is a complex process that is not entirely understood.” – S. Magness

The quote I chose above perfectly characterizes this book, because The Science of Running read part text book part memoir for me, which partly made the process of reading it difficult and thoroughly enjoying. Difficult, in that this boo ...more

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Jun 22, 2015 Paul Deveaux rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: fitness

This is a decent book, not a great one. This reads like a good second or third draft, not a finished product. There are typos and grammatical errors throughout the book. The most annoying thing us that the author frequently introduces concepts or acronyms without first defining them or explanation.

With that said it is a book that I will study more on the future. His command of the literature and the science cd behind running is very rare and a welcome addition to the all the fluff out there in ...more

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Oct 22, 2017 CJ Fusco rated it really liked it

Let me be frank here: I’ve read many books on training for distance runners, and this is easily the best. Moreover, I’ve found that when I’ve integrated the concepts therein into my own coaching, it’s had a sizable, noticeable, and measurable impact. The only reason I’m not giving it 5/5 stars is because of the frequent grammatical errors, as well as the fact that the units of measurement displayed in the sample training plans are inconsistent; if there was a 2nd edition that smoothed out these ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Michelle Lines rated it liked it

Oooof. Fitness, nutrition and of course, running, are huge passions of mine...even with having that profound interest in the subject matter, this book was a tough read. I'm giving it three stars because I learned a handful of interesting theories and workout ideas that I'm excited to test out in my next big training block, but finding it took wading through a lot of seriously dry, mind numbing sections. ...more

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Nov 29, 2020 Brian Rock rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: experienced runners.

Shelves: running

When I'm doing something, I always want to know why I'm doing it and how it works. This usually leads to me reading a lot about things and trying to understand them.

The problem with reading about running is that oftentimes, the same truisms and best practices are repeated in self-reinforcing circles. Because some coach used a technique with success in some situation, people use that technique in many situations.

Often times this works out well, but not always...

That's where science comes in, and When I'm doing something, I always want to know why I'm doing it and how it works. This usually leads to me reading a lot about things and trying to understand them.

The problem with reading about running is that oftentimes, the same truisms and best practices are repeated in self-reinforcing circles. Because some coach used a technique with success in some situation, people use that technique in many situations.

Often times this works out well, but not always...

That's where science comes in, and if you want to understand the science of running you should read this book by Steve Magness. He answered many of the questions I had about running and how the body adapts to running. He also answered many questions I didn't know I had.

The other problem with science is that it's often taken out of context. When people do cite research studies on the internet or in the media, it's usually to highlight one particular training method as being the next best thing.

Steve takes a much more measured approach to things, and this has the feel or a real academic work. Although my graduate studies were in the social sciences, and not the hard sciences, it's clear that Steve did a lot of homework to put this together.

I don't want to get too into the weeds here, but you can read more about my substantive takeaways from the book here.

I will say that this book is not easy to get through. A basic understanding of science will be helpful, although I have no training in human biology or exercise science and I was able to understand things. Steve does a good job of explaining complex scientific topics and relating them to very specific examples that runners will understand. At the same time, some of the sections on science can be quite dense.

Steve explains from the get go that this isn't a book for true beginners, and I agree. But, while he definitely targets highly competitive and advanced runners, I think anyone who is trying to become a better runner would benefit from reading this book.

You'll learn how the body adapts to training, why you should incorporate certain types of workouts into your training, and how to increase your speed and endurance. Although you won't walk away with any specific training plans, you'll understand the components of training plans much better - and you'll be able to adjust any training plan you find to your own needs. ...more

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Dec 10, 2020 Elwin Kline rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: self-improvement, fitness

Great book on exercise science.

The author admittingly turned his Masters Thesis into a book, that ended up doing very well and taking off to be quite financially rewarding. Good for him! I am sure there are plenty of thesis/dissertations out there that this path could be pursued and I am all for it.

This book is split into two parts, Part 1 is full of immensely heavy, very deep dive, biology and science of the human body relating to exercise. It was so in-depth that it almost pushed me away... b Great book on exercise science.

The author admittingly turned his Masters Thesis into a book, that ended up doing very well and taking off to be quite financially rewarding. Good for him! I am sure there are plenty of thesis/dissertations out there that this path could be pursued and I am all for it.

This book is split into two parts, Part 1 is full of immensely heavy, very deep dive, biology and science of the human body relating to exercise. It was so in-depth that it almost pushed me away... but, I stuck it out and I am very glad I did. This is definitely Master's level material for sure.

Part 2 gets into the working out portion of the book. While the author is dedicated to running specifically, the concepts and ideas presented can be easily transmuted into other types of exercises such as weightlifting, rock climbing, swimming, team sports, so on and so forth. Non-runners, do not let this scare you aware from this, and just be creative enough to be willing to adapt what is presented and gear it towards your chosen exercise/fitness discipline.

I learned a lot from this book for sure and very much enjoyed reading it. However, the fitness industry is super opinionated. There are many people who think that their way is the best over others, for example: fitness methodology xyz (CrossFit, Traditional Bodybuilding, Running, Rock Climbing, you name it) is the best, cardio before vs after vs separate for workouts is the best, diet abc is the best, so on and so forth. The author is totally guilty of this as well, which is expected for this field but still doesn't make me like it anymore. -1 star mainly for that and me disagreeing with some of his blanket statements and opinions.

Overall though, anyone from the dedicated fitness practitioner to someone who wants to get started, this is a great resource.

The author does sort of bash newcomers in the introduction to this book, saying essentially along the lines:

"This is not for beginners, if you want to go read a one size fits all cookie cutter how to move from the couch to your first run, this book is not for you".

If the author wants to narrow his audience like this, whatever.. it's his choice. However, I will disagree in that even if you are in a place where you want to get better and learn more this book will totally support that goal. Do not let the authors elitist attitude that you need to be able to run marathons in order to enjoy this book throw you off. ...more

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Aug 03, 2020 Owen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A very scientific and detailed look at running and training. I listened to the audio book and thought it was read well.

W0w - lots of detail and theory. Great for me, perhaps too much for some. Magness does point out that what runners and coaches adopt typically happens before scientific proof.

There is also good discussion about training, its impact, and who is being trained.

Untrained athlete - almost any regular program will show improvements.

Trained athlete - a more logical training program an ...more

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Aug 20, 2020 Christopher Kelsall rated it really liked it

If you have run for long enough, you will have been met with injury, niggles, irritations, tightness and muscular as well as gastrointestinal cramps. You will have been banged up, tossed around and have run through storms of fatigue and with tailwind-blowing gales of finely tuned fitness; you will have seen it all.

During that span, you will have picked up all sorts of correct and incorrect physiological jargon from professionals, running friends, Google-searched bro-science as well as real scien ...more

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Jul 10, 2020 Doug rated it liked it

Recommends it for: coaches, elite runners, parents of elite runners, sports scientists interested in running

there is a TON of _great_ information in this book. but I feel like it's written for a very specific audience -- the whole of which I do not belong. I am neither a sports scientist or a coach of elite atheletes, so I bailed out of this book early. I got a TON of great information and food for thought out of it, but at the end of the day, I am nowhere near in the shape I was in when this book would have been more useful to me. If you're a coach or sports scientist, definitely read this book. Mayb ...more

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Jun 18, 2020 E. Nicholas Mariani rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Hands down the best book on running and endurance training I've read so far. I'll be honest, as a casual runner/cyclist who engages in those activities mainly for exercise and peace of mind, a lot of the detailed information in this book was frankly above my pay grade. But for competitive athletes looking to improve their race times, serious marathon runners who want a boost to their endurance, or people like me who just find exercise science incredibly interesting, I have to imagine that this b ...more

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Feb 17, 2021 Stef Cornelissen rated it it was amazing

Shelves: triatlon

As a lifelong runner/triatlete I find this book a treasure trove combining the recent scientific nitty gritty and coaching insights into an integrated approach to training. Of all the stuff related to training this is by far the best I have come across in 45 years (Joe Friel included and that is saying something).

One of the eye openers was the discussion on fatigue and the fact that we do not yet know what it is ... For sure not lactate but a decision of your brain - and how we reach te conclus ...more

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Jul 05, 2020 Herbie Behm rated it it was amazing

Steve Magness thoroughly explains the physiology of running and how to apply that understanding to human adaption necessary for athletic success. He explains his different types of workouts as well as the internal pathways those workouts trigger in a simple way that can easily be applied to any program. This book certainly enhanced my program planning and understanding of athletic development.

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Aug 31, 2020 Jannis rated it liked it

Shelves: heard

Interesting but dense book for the professional. Does not lend itself to the Audiobook format as well as other, less technical non-fiction books. I have enjoyed the first part (and learned a lot from the presentation of the existing research on running, training and fatigue) and skipped some chapters in the second part (as I'm not a running coach nor training at those levels myself). ...more

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May 30, 2017 Mark Koester rated it it was amazing

Very comprehensive book about running, training and performance improves. Not for a first-time runner, but definitely a great source for anyone who wants to dig deeper into the science behind running and training to run faster.

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Dec 24, 2018 Alstin Benton rated it it was amazing

Quality Book... this book is spot on with the coaching trend of getting away from the focus being solely on Physiology and moving to the mental aspect of sport. Every great coach has found out the importance of this in athletic success

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Apr 21, 2019 Brad Cooke rated it it was ok

This book contains lots of good stuff; it's basically a thesis. However, it is rife with so many spelling and grammatical errors that it's about as readable as the average twitter post written on an iPhone. Hopefully future versions benefit from some editing! ...more

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Sep 10, 2018 Anders Risager rated it liked it · review of another edition

I use it as a encyclopedia for running 😉

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Apr 17, 2020 Jaume Lloria rated it it was amazing

This a very nice and comprensible book for understanding all mechanisms underpinning running exercise. Many perspective and important questions are exposed.

Highly recommended!

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Jan 18, 2020 Lukas rated it really liked it

Shelves: books-on-running

Reads just like it promises, like a scientific report. Very interesting and exhaustive on the subject at hand.

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Mar 30, 2015 Ankit Hawk rated it really liked it

Shelves: fitness-and-weight-loss-book, knowledge-lust, non-fiction-books

“The Science of Running” by Steve Magness begins with assumption that you already have lot of races under your belt. You are not a person who is reading the book trying to understand “how to run my first 5k”. As book progress I realized that analogy is still understated. The examples given and experienced shared could only be understood by a racer with training hundreds of kilometers per week. At least.

I am not one of the them but the book is not lost cause for me since to me the book is of insi ...more

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Mar 20, 2019 David John rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Being an aspiring coach, this book outlined a ton of great information that really changed how I look at running. From the body being forced away from homeostasis to the real benefits of hill workouts early season, I kept making all the great knowledge that filled the pages cover to cover. Thought that the training plans that were outlined were easy to follow and were made even more purposeful by the information that lead into them. This book will definitely be a great resource for me moving for ...more

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Dec 24, 2014 John rated it really liked it

This is a dense but worthwhile read for young runners working hard to get faster as well as old runners working hard to slow their decline. The most interesting learnings for me came from descriptions of recent research that undermines conventional wisdom about the utility of training to increase V02 max, raise lactate threshold, or reproduce a program that worked well for another runner. The author does a good job of outlining the outcomes that runners with different physiological starting poin ...more

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Nov 04, 2017 Andreas rated it really liked it · review of another edition

An fascinating book if you are interested in the bio-chemical processes that lead to adaptation of the body when you run. There is no magic formula, and somewhat surprisingly, the best coaches always seem to be a step ahead of science.

The author does a good job in comparing the different approaches and makes it clear when theory is shaky. The presentation of the material itself could have been better, I think I have read the parts I was interested in a couple of times until I understood the rel ...more

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Mar 08, 2014 David Tiefenthaler rated it it was amazing

This is an excellent book. It pits science against running norms to help serious runners and serious coaches learn the best practices for helping a runner improve. I've followed Steve Magness' blog "The Science of Running" for years, and I was hoping that this book would serve as a great resource for me. It is! A word of warning. This book is not for beginner runners. This is for people who know a good deal about running already and want to know a whole lot more. ...more

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Jun 14, 2014 Roberto Rigolin F Lopes rated it really liked it

The science in this book states that we don't know much about running! Science always pushing butts forward, literally in this case. Nevertheless, the literature review on fatigue was entertaining. Nice to meet you fatigue! I can feel you better now, doing my best to tolerate you. After science comes training, and it was mind blowing for a curious, not serious, runner. Hands up homeostasis, we are having a daily fight! ...more

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Aug 26, 2016 Ruslan Voronkov rated it really liked it

Advanced book of running science

Liked practical aspects of training plans, there are alot of them to choose for every race distance. Too little is written abour weight training ans supportive cross-training.

Chapter about running mechanics ended too soon.

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About Steve Magness

Steve Magness

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Steve Magness is a world-renowned expert on performance, coauthor of Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive with the New Science of Success and The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life, and the author of The Science of Running: How to Find Your Limit and Train to Maximize Your Performance. Collectively ...more

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“The problem with Fat is that it is an even more complex chemical process than carbohydrate breakdown, thus while the energy production is very high, it can only work at low to moderate intensities.” — 1 likes

“For competitive males a variety of studies have found that the energy contribution between aerobic and anaerobic systems is 60% aerobic and 40% anaerobic for the 800m, 77%/23% for the 1,500m, and 86%/14% for the 3,000m races” — 0 likes

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