Ask and answer your own questions. I feel like there are people on Zhihu who don’t have a deep understanding of junior high school physics, which leads to wrong answers to this question. I specially opened a new topic to repeat this question that has been discussed hundreds of times in major running forums to put things in perspective. This question was developed from "From the perspective of exercising, improving basal metabolism, and enhancing endurance, what is the difference between running on a treadmill and running outdoors?" ================================================== ========First, let me explain my situation to avoid being said that I have never run. The annual running volume is about 1800-2000km. I usually run 10km every other day, and basically run a half marathon once a month. Run outdoors when the weather is nice, and run on the treadmill when the weather is bad. There are many rainy and hazy days in Shanghai, so roughly half of them are outdoor and treadmill days. Another point to note: My several breakthroughs in 10,000-meter results were all done outdoors. On the contrary, it was difficult for me to break through on the treadmill. But I believe this is my case, and there must be people who have better results on treadmills than outdoors. ===========================================Start of text: Say it again 100 times, We resolutely, strongly, and clearly oppose those claims that "treadmills are easier than road running, and running 10 kilometers on a treadmill actually covers less than 10 kilometers"! (Ignore the wind resistance factor here, which is almost negligible for ordinary people unless you are running on a strong windy day). In theory, the two are exactly the same. Situation 1: I am running on the treadmill, the treadmill speed is 10, and I am moving forward at a constant speed of 10km. At this point, I remain motionless relative to the ground. An hour later, I finished running 10km. Scenario 2: Imagine an extra-long flatbed train with a length of 10km. The entire train is moving at a speed of 10km, and I am running on the train at a speed of 10km in the opposite direction (the train runs from east to west, and I run from west to east. run). At this time, I was motionless relative to the ground. An hour later, I ran from the front of the locomotive to the end of the locomotive. I also completed 10km. If you still can’t figure it out, please go home and continue reading the junior high school physics books! ================================================== ======================= It seems that there are still many people who don't understand, including a certain doctor. Again, frame of reference, frame of reference. When you run on a treadmill, your frame of reference is the treadmill belt, not the ground, not the ground! ! ! The work you do is applied to your displacement relative to that belt, not its displacement relative to the ground. The distance you move relative to the belt is the amount of work you do. When you move 10KM relative to the belt, you have to do the work of displacing yourself 10KM. This work is the same as moving 10km relative to the ground. Situation 2 is to let everyone understand the frame of reference. Extend the treadmill belt to 10KM, which is situation 2.====================================== ======================================The simplest argument that ignores various factors ends here . The following is the advanced process: Advanced 1: In fact, there is a slight difference between situations 1 and 2. There is a difference in the size of the force, which is friction, but this force has nothing to do with the work you do. This force is caused by running The motor of a machine, or the engine of a train. The force overcome on the treadmill is the friction between the belt and the plate under the belt. When your foot steps down, the belt comes into contact with the plate, causing friction. This friction consumes energy, and where does this energy come from? It comes from the treadmill motor, which drives the belt to overcome this friction. When you run on a train, your feet will also increase the friction between the train wheels and the ground, but this friction is smaller than the friction between the belt and the plate, but this friction is also overcome by the train's engine.
Situation 2 can be changed to a 10km long belt sliding on the ground. At this time, the two forces are the same. Therefore, this difference will not have any impact on you. Advanced 2: It varies from person to person. Some people may find treadmills more tiring than outdoor running. The reason is that these people cannot control their speed well. They are forced to run at a precise and uniform speed on the treadmill, and at their desired speed outdoors. When forced, be a little more tiring. But this varies from person to person. Advanced 3: For people who can easily control themselves to run at a constant speed, running outdoors is more tiring than running on a treadmill. The reason is very simple. Additional factors such as uneven road surface, gravel, etc. will all affect it. Advanced 4: It is normal to feel more comfortable when running outdoors than on a treadmill. Air is a big factor. What you breathe when running outdoors is fresh air. What you breathe when running on a treadmill is the air around the body. Although the difference is small, the distance is longer. It cannot be ignored either.