WATER RUNNING AND THE MAINTENANCE OF MAXIMUM OXYGEN CONSUMPTION AND LEG STRENGTH IN RUNNERS

Stress Injuries in the Athlete

Stress fractures are a common injury that present in athletes because of the high intensity and repetitive nature of many sports. These injuries require a high index of suspicion in the treating clinician to allow for timely management. Though most low-risk fractures heal well with conservative management, high-risk stress fractures as well as any fracture in the elite athlete may warrant surgical intervention as well as an augmented treatment and rehabilitation regimen.

Deep-water running: a practical review of the literature with an emphasis on biomechanics

Deep-water running (DWR) is used as an adjunct to training and conditioning, and as an injury-rehabilitation technique. It is important for the physician or sports medicine practitioner to focus on the underlying physics and biomechanics of running in water in order to better produce the desired physiological, metabolic, and psychological outcomes. Deep-water running maximal heart rate and oxygen consumption values have been consistently shown to be lower than those found during treadmill running. However, recent evidence reveals that there is less of a difference between these maximal values relative to treadmill running and DWR with increased DWR experience. Submaximal values have been shown to be strikingly similar. The skill level of DWR technique, psychological comfort, perception of work, muscular recruitment patterns, and running kinematics are all affected by the physics (ie, temperature, buoyancy, hydrostatic pressure, specific gravity, and drag) of running in water. Therefore, the relationship between the biomechanics and the corollary practical physiological indicators of workload found in DWR must be factored into the appropriate prescription of training and conditioning workloads and rehabilitation protocols.

Corrida em piscina funda: limites e possibilidades para o alto desempenho

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os limites e possibilidades da utilização da corrida em piscina funda no treinamento de corredores de rendimento. Além disso, são discutidas as respostas agudas submáximas, máximas e crônicas, do ponto de vista fisiológico e biomecânico entre a corrida em terra e em piscina funda. As respostas máximas de freqüência cardíaca e consumo de oxigênio são menores no exercício aquático do que na corrida terrestre. Dados experimentais sugerem o uso do treinamento de corrida em piscina funda para corredores de rendimento; contudo, essas evidências são limitadas para treinamentos de até 10 semanas.

The physiology of deep-water running

Deep-water running is performed in the deep end of a swimming pool, normally with the aid of a flotation vest. The method is used for purposes of preventing injury and promoting recovery from strenuous exercise and as a form of supplementary training for cardiovascular fitness. Both stroke volume and cardiac output increase during water immersion: an increase in blood volume largely offsets the cardiac decelerating reflex at rest. At submaximal exercise intensities, blood lactate responses to exercise during deep-water running are elevated in comparison to treadmill running at a given oxygen uptake (VO2). While VO2, minute ventilation and heart rate are decreased under maximal exercise conditions in the water, deep-water running nevertheless can be justified as providing an adequate stimulus for cardiovascular training. Responses to training programmes have confirmed the efficacy of deep-water running, although positive responses are most evident when measured in a water-based test. Aerobic performance is maintained with deep-water running for up to 6 weeks in trained endurance athletes; sedentary individuals benefit more than athletes in improving maximal oxygen uptake. There is some limited evidence of improvement in anaerobic measures and in upper body strength in individuals engaging in deep-water running. A reduction in spinal loading constitutes a role for deep-water running in the prevention of injury, while an alleviation of muscle soreness confirms its value in recovery training. Further research into the applications of deep-water running to exercise therapy and athletes' training is recommended.