AQx Aquatic Training Shoes Proven to Increase Workload on Underwater Treadmill

The Official Journal of the American College of Sports Medicine, Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, recently published a study conducted by researchers at Brigham Young University using the AQx Aquatic Training Shoes on an underwater treadmill. The study proved that wearing the AQx Aquatic Training Shoes increased VO2 by 4.12mL · Kg-1 · min-1 at any given water treadmill speed. The study also found that Heart Rate was approximately 7bpm less during water treadmill running compared with land treadmill running, although the metabolic demand (VO2 ) was similar. The full citation and abstract are below.



Rife, R. K., J. W. Myrer, P. Vehrs, J. B. Feland, I. Hunter, and G. W. Fellingham. (2010). Water Treadmill Parameters Needed to Obtain Land Treadmill Intensities in Runners. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., 42(4), 733-738.

ABSTRACT

RIFE, R. K., J. W. MYRER, P. VEHRS, J. B. FELAND, I. HUNTER, and G. W. FELLINGHAM. Water Treadmill Parameters Needed to Obtain Land Treadmill Intensities in Runners. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 42, No. 4, pp. 733-738, 2010.

Purpose: To establish water treadmill running parameters with shoes (WTR-S) and without water shoes (WTR-NS) needed to obtain known land treadmill running (LTR) cardiorespiratory responses.

Methods: Eighteen trained college-aged runners participated in three running conditions (LTR, WTR-S, and WTR-NS) where cardiorespiratory responses were measured. The primary variables of interest were V 0 2 , HR, treadmill speed, and stride frequency (SF). These variables were assessed at 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% equivalents of land V 0 2 m a x for all three running conditions.

Results: Data were centered; so in the analysis, intercepts were calculated within the range of data. At an HR of 150 bpm, V 0 2 was significantly less (P < 0.05) during LTR (34.6 mL-kg- 1min- 1 ) compared with WTR-S (37.5 mL-kg- 1 min- 1 ) and WTR-NS (37.2 mLkg- 1 min- 1 ) . HR was approximately 7 bpm less during WTR compared with LTR, although the metabolic demand (V02 ) was similar. At a treadmill speed of 160.9 m·min-1, SF during LTR was 23.6 strides per minute greater (P < 0.05) than that during WTR-S and 21.8 strides per minute greater than that during WTR-NS. Wearing water shoes increased V 0 2 by 4.12 m L · kg- 1€min- 1 at any given water treadmill speed.

Conclusions: To achieve metabolic oxygen demands equivalent to intensities from 50% to 80% of V 0 2 m a x on LTR, WTR parameters have to be changed from those used on LTR. WTR is an effective alternative to LTR. Subjects were able to exercise on the water treadmill at intensities equivalent to 80% of their V 0 2 m a x and 55% to 94% of their land H R m a x . Individuals can select a treadmill speed during WTR that elicits an HR of approximately 7 bpm less than their LTR to obtain a cardiorespiratory overload equivalent to 50%, 60%, 70%, and 80% of their land V 0 2 m a x .

Key Words: CARDIOVASCULAR TRAINING, REHABILITATION, LOWER EXTREMITY, RUNNING