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Updated: Jul 14, 2026
09:24
A Rapidly Incremented Tethered-Swimming Maximal Protocol for Cardiorespiratory Assessment of Swimmers
Published on: January 28, 2020
Peak cardiorespiratory responses during aquatic and land treadmill exercise
W Matthew Silvers1, Erin R Rutledge, Dennis G Dolny
1Division of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID 83844-2401, USA. msilvers@uidaho.edu
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|June 5, 2007
Summary
Aquatic treadmill exercise elicits cardiorespiratory responses comparable to land treadmill running. This suggests aquatic treadmill running is effective for aerobic conditioning in fit individuals.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiorespiratory Fitness
Background:
- Aquatic treadmill exercise is used for rehabilitation and aerobic training.
- Its cardiorespiratory stress compared to land exercise is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiorespiratory responses during maximal-effort protocols using an aquatic treadmill (ATM) versus a land treadmill (TM).
Main Methods:
- Twenty-three college runners performed incremental peak oxygen consumption tests on both ATM and TM.
- Measurements included oxygen consumption, heart rate, ventilation, and perceived exertion.
- Protocols involved increasing speed and, for ATM, water jet resistance, or for TM, grade.
Main Results:
- Minute ventilation and breathing frequency were significantly higher during ATM exercise.
- Peak oxygen consumption, heart rate, tidal volume, respiratory exchange ratio, blood lactate, and perceived exertion were similar between ATM and TM.
Conclusions:
- Aquatic treadmill exercise, with fluid resistance, elicits peak cardiorespiratory responses comparable to land treadmill exercise.
- ATM running appears to be as effective as TM running for aerobic conditioning in fit individuals.
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