cadence (gait)

{{Short description|Number of steps per unit time}}

Cadence in sports involving running is a measure of speed calculated as the total number of full cycles (of both a right and left foot strike) taken within a given period of time, often expressed in steps per minute or cycles per minute. It is used as a measure of athletic performance.

It is similar to cadence in cycling. In running and racewalking, increasing cadence can be beneficial.{{Cite web|url=http://www.triendurance.com/Related.asp?PageID=14&NavID=7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080228162904/http://www.triendurance.com/Related.asp?PageID=14&NavID=7|archive-date=28 February 2008|title=Running with a Higher Cadence|date=22 July 2004|last=Berg|first=Jared }}

In sports such as weightlifting or bodybuilding, cadence can refer to the speed or time taken to complete a single lift, rather than how many repetitions of a lift are completed.