Ground Contact Time Balance Data
Ground contact time balance measures your running symmetry and appears as a percentage of your total
ground contact time. For example, 51.3% with an arrow pointing left indicates the runner is spending more time
on the ground when on the left foot. If your data screen displays both numbers, for example 48–52, 48% is the
left foot and 52% is the right foot.
Color Zone
Red
Orange
Green
Orange
Red
Symmetry
Poor
Fair
Good
Fair
Poor
Percent of Other Runners
5%
25%
40%
25%
5%
Ground Contact Time Balance
>52.2% L 50.8–52.2% L 50.7% L–50.7% R 50.8–52.2% R >52.2% R
While developing and testing running dynamics, the Garmin team found correlations between injuries and
greater imbalances with certain runners. For many runners, ground contact time balance tends to deviate
further from 50–50 when running up or down hills. Most running coaches agree that a symmetrical running
form is good. Elite runners tend to have quick and balanced strides.
You can watch the gauge or data field during your run or view the summary on your Garmin Connect account
after your run. As with the other running dynamics data, ground contact time balance is a quantitative
measurement to help you learn about your running form.
Vertical Oscillation and Vertical Ratio Data
The data ranges for vertical oscillation and vertical ratio are slightly different depending on the sensor and
whether it is positioned at the chest (HRM-Pro, HRM-Run
™
, or HRM-Tri accessories) or at the waist (Running
Dynamics Pod accessory).
Color Zone
Percentile in
Zone
Vertical Oscillation
Range at Chest
Vertical Oscillation
Range at Waist
Vertical Ratio at
Chest
Vertical Ratio at
Waist
Purple >95
<6.4 cm
<6.8 cm
<6.1%
<6.5%
Blue
70–95
6.4–8.1 cm
6.8–8.9 cm
6.1–7.4%
6.5–8.3%
Green
30–69
8.2–9.7 cm
9.0–10.9 cm
7.5–8.6%
8.4–10.0%
Orange 5–29
9.8–11.5 cm
11.0–13.0 cm
8.7–10.1%
10.1–11.9%
Red
<5
>11.5 cm
>13.0 cm
>10.1%
>11.9%
148
Appendix
