From Paul Wilson, PT, DPT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, CMPT
Our team at PROMPT Physical Therapy and Performance tested over 50 high school track athletes on our force plates over two testing days in December 2025, the preseason for the 2026 track season. 33 of them had a 1600m time, and those 33 are the athletes in this analysis. We checked which numbers lined up with those times.
What we found
Single leg jump height had the strongest link to 1600m time of everything we measured. The correlation was r = -0.66 (95% CI -0.82 to -0.41). A negative r here means a higher jump went with a faster 1600m. Without one outlier, r = -0.61 (n = 32).
Athletes who jumped higher on one leg also tended to hop more reactively.
This is a correlation in one group of athletes, so we treat it as a signal and not a rule.
Our read
A good single leg jump points to relative strength and power, plus an efficient stretch shortening cycle through the leg, in a range of motion close to running. Those attributes support running economy. Building a better single leg jump is not the goal. The jump shows us what the leg is doing.
What the research says
Strength and plyometric training have evidence behind them for running economy.
Strength training improves running economy by 2 to 8% in trained runners (Barnes & Kilding, 2015 review). Plyometric training reduces the oxygen cost of running and improves time-trial performance (Pellegrino et al., Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2016). Reactive strength index and leg stiffness correlate with running economy in distance runners (Li et al., J Strength Cond Res, 2021).
How we use this data
We go with numbers over vibes. If you can measure the qualities that drive running economy, you can track them, train them, and show the change to your athlete.
For a runner in pain, we calm stuff down and build stuff up. The same testing shows how each leg produces force and which leg is behind. One runner may lack strength. Another may have strength but produce it slowly. Another may leak energy on landing. Each one needs a different plan.
That is how the data helps a runner get out of pain and improve performance. The plan fits the athlete, and we retest to show the change.
What is next
We are still digging into this data. We have built a large database of runners, so we have the information to better serve runners.
Come see us
Come see the PROMPT team in Knoxville for a running performance evaluation. We work with runners of all levels, from high school to college to pro. Message our team at PROMPT Physical Therapy and Performance to schedule one.
FAQ
What is a single leg jump test? You jump as high as you can off one leg on a force plate. The plate measures how much force you produce and how fast you produce it, along with jump height.
Does a higher single leg jump make you a faster runner? Not directly. In our 2026 preseason data, a higher jump went with a faster 1600m. The jump points to strength, power, and elastic efficiency that support running economy. Those attributes are the target, not the jump itself.
Do strength and plyometric training improve running economy? The research says yes. A 2015 review (Barnes & Kilding) found strength training improves running economy by 2 to 8% in trained runners. Pellegrino et al. (2016) found plyometric training reduces the oxygen cost of running and improves time-trial performance.
Where can I get force plate testing in Knoxville? PROMPT Physical Therapy and Performance offers running performance evaluations in Knoxville for runners of all levels, from high school to college to pro. Message our team to schedule one.
This post is for education only and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed provider about your situation.