Specificity of run training on VO2 max and heart rate cganges during running and swimming

To further evaluate the specificity of aerobic training, maximum physiologic measures (VO2, VE, HR, and R) and submaximal exercise heart rate were determined in control (N = 8) and experimental (N = 11) subjects prior to and following 10-week interval run training. Experimental subjects significantly increased (P less than 0.01) treadmill VO2 max by 252 ml O2 or 6.3%. This was siginificantly larger (P less than 0.01) than the 87 ml O2 or 2.6% increase (P less than 0.05) observed during swimming. Max HR decreased significantly in both forms of exercise. In addition, heart rate at two submaximal work levels during running and swimming was significantly lower after training. No changes in metabolic and physiologic measures were demonstrated for the controls after the 10-wk period. These results further support the concept of the specificity of the metabolic adaptation to aerobic training and strongly suggest that local adaptations in skeletal muscle significantly contribute to improvement in VO2 max. However, running may produce a general training adaptation in maximal and submaximal heart rate.