# running on road vs. treadmill **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 16, 2001, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024 "2001-06-16T07:28:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mike30](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bb73d2/32.png) [@Mike30](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike30)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/1 "2001-06-16T07:28:15Z")
Two part question for you all… 1. When I use certain treadmills in gyms, one of the parameters they can scan is something called “METS”. What is/are this/these? 2. When I run on the road in my neighbourhood along my usual premeasured route of 5km (3.11 miles) I will cover this distance in 27:30 to 30:00. When I do the same distance on a treadmill, it takes at least 31:00, although it feels to be the same pace as on the road. I know there will be variances from machine to machine, but are they at all accurate? I have measured my road route with two different cars, so that should check out as really 5km. Any takers? Thanks Cheers Mike30 ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/2 "2001-06-16T10:03:17Z")
Well, in the Navy we have to run 1.5 miles for our Physical Readiness Test. For the last 6 years I’ve run it around 11:15-11:30. I’ve tried taking the test on treadmills, but it’s always off, so I know without a doubt that the ones I’ve been on, and probably all of them, for that matter, are wrong. I don’t trust those things at all when it comes to time/distance accuracy. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/3 "2001-06-16T13:52:02Z")
Short answer to #1: a MET is a measure of the oxygen used up to do a certain fixed amount of exercise. It’s useful for a lot of calculations, but I use it mainly to make an assessment of functional capacity. If a person is expected to do 10 METs of exercise on a maximal stress test (pushing their heart rate as close to the predicted maximum as possible) and does 12.5, they’ve exceeded their prediction by 25%, and they have superior functional capacity (they’re in good physical shape from an aerobic exercise standpoint). If they only do 5 METs before maxing out their heart rate and exhausting themselves, their capacity is 50%, and they’re in lousy shape (either from deconditioning, heart or lung disease, or other problems). Short answer to #2: I’ve no idea. They once sent me a man with a prosthetic leg to stress test on the treadmill. I offered to make him a pharmacological stress test (without exercise) but he wanted to walk! And he **rocked!** He did 120% of the predicted work for a guy with two intact legs! You never can tell! ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/4 "2001-06-16T14:36:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > He did 120% of the predicted work for a guy with two intact legs! How much of that is due, I wonder, to there being less biomass to support? I ask in part (don’t laugh … well, don’t laugh too loud) because I remember when I read _Cyborg_, the novel on which _The Six-Million Dollar Man_ was based that one of the “benefits” to Col. Austin was to be the fact that his cardiovascular system, trained and conditioned to support his entire body, would have a tremendous excess capacity now because he was lighter by two legs and an arm. That idea has always stuck with me for some reason. OK, OK … go ahead and laugh. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/5 "2001-06-16T14:49:32Z")
Mass is taken into account in the calculations. METs can be expressed in oxygen consumed/Kilogram. Yes, if you’re fat and flabby you’re more likely to be unfit, and not perform well. But I’ve seen some **enormous** people attain or surpass their predicted METs. And I’ve seen skinny non-exercisers poop out in half the predicted time. But you’re right, **Knead**. My one-legged patient didn’t have to perfuse an entire limb. But since he was slim, he didn’t have to perfuse 50 lbs of excess fat either. Can’t lose weight? Chop off your legs instead! Your heart will work less hard! BTW, **Knead** , what does your handle signify? Just trying to take an interest in other people. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/6 "2001-06-16T15:00:06Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Qadgop the Mercotan \* > BTW, **Knead** , what does your handle signify? Just trying to take an interest in other people. 😃 Why, thanks **Qadgop**. I’m flattered. [An answer](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=683006#post683006) for you, and [an explanation](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=74545) for the confused. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/7 "2001-06-16T18:15:39Z")
> [@](#): > > 1. When I run on the road in my neighbourhood along my usual premeasured route of 5km (3.11 miles) I will cover this distance in 27:30 to 30:00. When I do the same distance on a treadmill, it takes at least 31:00, although it feels to be the same pace as on the road. I know there will be variances from machine to machine, but are they at all accurate? I have measured my road route with two different cars, so that should check out as really 5km. WAG #1 - your treadmill is slightly angled uphill Suggested solution - try a level WAG #2 - Your treadmill is inaccurate or your measured 5k is innaccurate Suggested solution - get a pedometer they are cheap (I got one for $10) it will measure steps and translate it to distance. ---
**Author:** ![robinh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b77776/32.png) [@robinh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robinh)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/8 "2001-06-16T20:23:14Z")
**Another WAG:** Though I am now confined to my treadmill (I tore the cartilige in my knee a few years ago) I used to run on outdoor tracks. I wonder if it might have something to do with your stride? I have long legs and, therefore, a long stride. (I am one of those annoying people who _always_ walks too fast for everyone else.) When I run on the treadmill, for me to get a full out stride requires me to be quite a bit back on the belt, which I find uncomfortable. I’m quite sure that I run with a shorter stride on the treadmill than I would if I were on the street. So if you are running in what feels like the same rhythm, but with a slightly shorter stride, it would take you just a little bit longer to go the same distance. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2001, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/9 "2001-06-16T22:35:00Z")
Quadgop, your observation is correct. A guy with one below-knee amputaion must work harder to get around then a guy with 2 legs. A guy with an above knee amputation, or 2 below kaee amputations must work harder yet. Walking with 2 above knee amputations is a real effort, and you have to get pretty fit to do it (A lot of people with 2 above knee amputations use assistive devices). This is partially due to the fact that an artificial leg does not have the active muscle of an intact leg. Furthermore, legs are pretty good at storing and returning kinetic energy, and its hard to duplicate that with technology. (I think the Cyborg idea is pretty good, but really, he would lose most of that conditioning while recovering from the operation and then going through rehab afterword). [and I apologoze for my grammar and spelling today} If you want to see some really fit and powerful atheletes, check out the Paralympics. ---
**Author:** ![JillGat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc29f/32.png) [@JillGat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JillGat)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2001, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/running-on-road-vs-treadmill/69024/10 "2001-06-17T04:41:31Z")
The main difference between road running and treadmill running, in my experience, is that running for an hour on the road feels like running for an hour. And running on a treadmill for ten minutes feels like running for an hour, too.