Introduction
Competitive runners are on the constant quest for maximal performance. However, after decades of significant improvements, a trend towards more marginal changes has been observed in several disciplines including endurance runningRunning performance is inherently dependent on the efficiency of locomotion, which is often referred to as running economy (RE). How efficient a human moves over the ground is not only influenced by metabolic factors, but also by the quality of movement patterns and the mechanical characteristics of the locomotor systemResistance training, plyometrics, and stretching represent three popular methods used to target REAccording to the available evidence, the Achilles tendon (AT) has been demonstrated to play a significant role in REIn a pioneering study, Kawakami et al.