San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman has revealed that he has made a conscious effort to reduce the carries of running back Frank Gore this season.

The 31-year-old has been limited to just 77 rush attempts this season, the lowest tally of his career through five games since the 2009 season.

However, Roman is adamant that he does not want to overburden Gore at this early stage in the season, especially with rookie Carlos Hyde present to share the load.

"We don't want to just ride that stallion all day, every day," Roman told reporters. "There's a point of diminishing returns at some point.

"That's almost true for any player at that position. Who gets hit more than running backs?"

Gore has 365 rushing yards this season, along with two touchdowns.