Anyone else feel like running on the treadmill is harder than outside?

At first it is mainly mental (indoor heat aside), but at higher speeds there is a difference. Sorry to disappoint you, but outside running at faster pace is harder.

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-019-01087-9

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40279-019-01237-z

treadmill rat wrote:

At first it is mainly mental (indoor heat aside), but at higher speeds there is a difference. Sorry to disappoint you, but outside running at faster pace is harder.

Hmm, I'm not sure latest research does indicate that. See the following for example.

It references a recent paper from this year which suggests that only for moderate paces is the treadmill easier; for anything faster than six minute per mile or so, the treadmill is supposedly harder.

Could you elaborate on what you felt was significant in the papers that you linked to? I don't have access to the first one, but the second one seems to me to indicate minimal differences biomechanically.

Thanks for input guys, glad to hear I’m not alone in my treadmill issues.

Two problems remain for me:

1. The “impact stoppage” issue. Maybe this is brand-dependent, but on our precor this is horrible. Basically a deal breaker to go faster than 8 min miles—each footstrike stops the belt for a split second.

2. The perceived effort thing. I disagree this has anything to do with heat, co2, etc. It would be the same if I just started, with a fan on and the window open—“easy” paces like 7min pace feel like sprinting. This may have to do with mechanics, as a previous poster mentioned where shufflers are penalized less. I am the opposite of a shuffler. 1500m man in my prime, strong toe off and back kick.

I was going to pacify myself by believing that people blessed with good middle distance mechanics find the treadmill terrible—but the ingebrigstens seem to have no problem!

Do others agree with the poster above who said a Woodway is the answer? Never used one.

Are you sure your belt is tight enough? When I ran on a treadmill a few years ago that used to do what you're describing (stopping for a split second on every foot strike), it was because the belt needed to be tightened. It's a super easy fix, and maybe worth trying?

And yes, Woodways are amazing.

Check out Salazars' book: Treadmill Training and Workout guide. He notes that in prep for his Comrades win, he did about 1/2 his mileage on the treadmill. I'm 75 and have been running mostly on Woodway treadmills for the past 5 years. I haven't raced in that time so I can't comment on the benefits of treadmill vs. road and track training except to say that its a different experience but probably gives the same cardiovascular benefits as road/track training. However, I'm a little bit concerned about leg strength. I use a Garmin HRM and generally run intervals of 100 to 200m with short walking breaks. I rarely do any long, slow stuff which means I'm pushing my effort so its challenging and hard to get bored with intervals. If your goal is to race well then you have to do some outside running , hills and long stuff, but you can certainly do intervals/fartlek on the treadmill for speed endurance.

Make sure it’s level.. just checked mine after 4yrs and it was off 1.5 inches front to back which means it was about a 3% incline when the incline was set to zero

Check out this clip of filip ingebrigsten. You can see the belt stopping and rippling with every footstrike.

Also do they train in vaporflys?

Oops, link: https://www.instagram.com/p/B6DafA2FHCF/?igshid=1cqbvagkooevc

I don’t see the belt stopping in that video.

treadmill running is only harder because of the heat inside. Run on a treadmill in a 50 degree room with constant air flow and it will be much easier than the typical gym which keeps it at 70 and is humid.

treadmill rat wrote:

At first it is mainly mental (indoor heat aside), but at higher speeds there is a difference. Sorry to disappoint you, but outside running at faster pace is harder.

Exactly! Also, the sheer boredom on the treadmill makes it mentally harder. But if I dial up the speed, it is obvious that my HR is lower at the same speed as outside.

other recent research wrote:

treadmill rat wrote:

At first it is mainly mental (indoor heat aside), but at higher speeds there is a difference. Sorry to disappoint you, but outside running at faster pace is harder.

Hmm, I'm not sure latest research does indicate that. See the following for example.

https://runnersconnect.net/treadmills-vs-outdoor-running-heres-what-the-latest-science-says/

It references a recent paper from this year which suggests that only for moderate paces is the treadmill easier; for anything faster than six minute per mile or so, the treadmill is supposedly harder.

Could you elaborate on what you felt was significant in the papers that you linked to? I don't have access to the first one, but the second one seems to me to indicate minimal differences biomechanically.

The 1st study link IS the study referenced in the article you posted (runnersconnect).

There are significant differences in acceleration:

And, regarding oxygen cost, from one the 1st study link's authors ... "We found that oxygen consumption is largely similar at lower speeds (

This didn't come through:

https://twitter.com/BasVanHooren/status/1203345431486439425

I ignore the readout and go by heartrate. I have miler mechanics which get crushed by 'mills. Heel strikers definitely seem to thrive on those things.

So then as long as you arent running sub 6:00 on a treadmill its pretty much the same as outdoors.

I agree with the majority here, the treadmill is mentally exhausting. But if there is freezing rain and bad roads there isn't much of a choice.

My personal experience is that treadmills are harder especially for faster speeds at longer durations:

"speed workouts": about the same/ easier outdoors (Outdoors 3:30min/km feels similar to 3:45min/km on tm)

"longer tempos(>13k)": easier outdoors (if temp. and humidity are similar to indoors) (Outdoors I need to "hold back"/save energy to slow down to 4min/km the entire workout. On treadmill I need to focus a lot(+sweat a LOT more) to not fall off the belt after 5km...)

Almost no difference(/ sometimes feels easier on tm(probably because air quality is sometimes better/more stable in my home but running on a quiet trail outdoors can feel MUCH more enjoyable))

Easy/ aerobic runs

Long runs

linguist wrote:

Agree completely. I find the treadmill way harder than outside for a given pace.

Then people try to tell me I need to put the incline up to 1 or 2% or whatever just to make it equal outdoors. It's already harder when it's flat!

Download inclinometer on your cellphone and check your treadmill at 0% setting, fo sure you will find real inclination much, much more than 0%, this is the reason why treadmill is harder vs outdoor. Treadmill should be properly setup and adjusted for 0% setting, to be 0% by clinometer.

treadmill runner wrote:

My personal experience is that treadmills are harder especially for faster speeds at longer durations:

"speed workouts": about the same/ easier outdoors (Outdoors 3:30min/km feels similar to 3:45min/km on tm)

"longer tempos(>13k)": easier outdoors (if temp. and humidity are similar to indoors) (Outdoors I need to "hold back"/save energy to slow down to 4min/km the entire workout. On treadmill I need to focus a lot(+sweat a LOT more) to not fall off the belt after 5km...)

Almost no difference(/ sometimes feels easier on tm(probably because air quality is sometimes better/more stable in my home but running on a quiet trail outdoors can feel MUCH more enjoyable))

Easy/ aerobic runs

Long runs

Check real inclination by clinometer at 0% setup. A lot of people says it harder, others says it easier, just check inclination and you will find answer why is harder or easier vs outdoor.

Check speed calibration, if treadmill speed is lower vs outdoor, but real inclination 1.5% and more, your treadmill will be anyway harder vs outdoor at same speed what is showing on display. If the treadmill speed is correct vs outdoor, but at 0% incline setting real inclination is more, your treadmill will be far way harder vs outdoor too.

For fun, put your data from treadmill with real inclination (checked by clinometer) here:

You will see why is so damn hard to run on a treadmill vs outdoor.

For me running on a treadmill is also harder that outside.

In my opinion running style has a lot to do with the "how it feels" when comparing treadmill and road.

I believe power runners may find it more difficult (pace feels harder) to run on a treadmill than perhaps quick short steps type of runners

Power runners tend to spend more time on the ground but also have a longer stride and I think on a moving surface this style of running is just not as efficient,

Some of that forward power is lost. pushing off from a fixed point (road) is always going to be more efficient than from a point moving away from you like the treadmill does.

This loss of power may be reduced with practice but for some it will be very difficult to eliminate completely

The so called wind factor I don't think can compensate enough for the loss of power.

My two pennies :)