Exercise - Free Fitness Library
Aqua Running - In too deep?
When those joints have begun to say 'enough is enough' and your shins are fatiguing from hours of pounding the pavements or hitting the step, what is the best way to maintain your hard earned cardio vascular fitness? Some fitness trainers may recommend equivalent workouts on a cycle ergonometer but this may not be possible due to the nature of the injury - e.g. knee, shin or Achilles tendon, or just not specific enough to your usual running training. If so, head towards the deep end!
Water running has been promoted in the last few years as the safest and most efficient way of maintaining cardio vascular fitness for the injured athlete and as a useful cross training method to prevent those injuries occurring. The elimination of weight-bearing makes it an ideal environment for rehabilitation and conditioning, and the rate of heat loss from the exercising athlete to water is much greater than air, making it a comfortable cooling medium too. Many top athletes substitute land workouts for aqua running to prevent those stresses building up in the body.
It is a vital way of taking that enforced rest which would otherwise leave your fitness waning. A weeks complete rest will reduce your cardio vascular fitness by 3-4%. After six weeks your maximal aerobic (V02 max) drops by 15%. Stopping cardio vascular conditioning for this time could reduce your 10kilometre time by almost 1 minute per mile.
Aqua running or deep water running consists of a simulated running action in the deep end of the pool wearing a floatation vest or belt. Initially water vests were used, but these could ride up and cause chaffing, so the newer aqua belts (aqua jogger) are more practical.
If you do not require specific running training, simulating your aerobic routine in chest high water will also benefit you greatly. At this depth a negligible amount of weight bearing is transmitted through joints and you can maintain your motor-co-ordination too. It all sounds too good to be true, keeping your 10K time without hitting the road. Numerous studies over the last few years are backing up the principal.
THE FACTS:
Ed Eyestone, one of America's top distance runners carried out a study whilst at the University of Oregon Eugene to compare water running, cycling and running in maintaining a pre-measured V02 max. and 2 mile run performance over 6 weeks. Three randomly chosen groups trained at similar frequency, intensity and duration. The results indicated no significant differences in change of V02 max, or 2 mile run times. Hence it demonstrated that the injured athlete can maintain V02 max. and a timed performance equally well cycling or water running. Another study carried out in New Zealand compared continuous water running at a "hard" pace for 30 minutes, to a 30minute run at hard and normal pace on a treadmill. Maximum oxygen uptake for the hard water run was similar to that of the hard treadmill run, although the heart rate at this level of exertion was lower in water. This is due to the increased VENOUS return caused by water immersion. Once again, it showed that deep water running can be performed at a sufficient intensity, for a sufficient period to be an effective training method for the endurance athlete.
EXERTION:
Your aqua run or workout will feel much harder as the water resistance activates "fast twitch" muscle cells in the legs, causing them to produce more lactic acid. Perceived exertion is therefore higher. Remember; if using a heart rate monitor, exercising in water has a 10% reducing effect on the heart rate so at a set land target your efforts will seem harder. Allow for this by reducing your exercising target heart rate in water by 10%.
CADENCE & HEART RATE:
A study at the Houston International Running Centre compared cadence (speed of turn over of legs) to heart rate. Cadence was directly proportional to heart rate, so reaching a higher target heart rate is easily achieved by working the legs more quickly.
This study also showed that an aerobic training effect can occur at a lower heart rate in water than on land. Cadence is an excellent quantitative measure for athletes building up a conditioning programme. Periodic graded exercise training to establish a heart rate, at a set cadence can demonstrate improvements in cardio vascular fitness.
DURATION:
How long should you work out for? Spend as long in the water as your normal run or aerobic class. Another option is to cross-train. Maybe spend 30 minutes on a cycle ergonometer and 30 minutes in the pool to reduce the boredom factor.
If you are substituting an easy day, run relaxed for 30 minutes and follow up with some stretches in the water - an ideal medium to do so.
Aerobic routines can be easily simulated in deep or chest high water. To be more specific to your normal routine intersperse running with jacks, leg kicks, "spotty dog" routines etc. Use of arms will increase the effort too. This will maintain motor co-ordination and keep those neuro-muscular pathways firming! Use the water to experiment with certain moves. Most can be transposed into the water, but remember your speed will be effected by water resistance.
RETURNING TO RUNNING/LAND
As your injury heals and you've had the go-ahead from your physiotherapist to return to land exercise, wean off the water slowly. Substitute several land training sessions a week for the water so that you are gradually re-loading those joints and musculo-skeletal structures.
You may even have enjoyed working out in the water so much that you continue to do so routinely. It's a good preventative move! Chill out in the deep end!
Wendy Green MCSP SRP
Peak Performance. Aqua running Issue 37, October 1993. Anderson O
Eyestone G.D. Effect on water running and cycling on V02 max and 2 mile performance. American Journal Sports Medicine, Vol 21(1), p 41-44 1993/Microform publications. International Institute for Sport and Human Performance University of Oregon.
Ritchie St W G Hopkins. The Intensity of Exercise in Deep Water Running - International Journal Sports Medicine Vol 12 no.1, p 27-29 1991.
Wilder R, Brennan D, Scholte D. A standard measure for exercise prescription for aqua running. American Journal Sports Medicine Vol; 21, no1 p 45-48 1993
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