Regression of oxygen consumption on heart rate during supported and unsupported deep water running in healthy mixed gender subjects

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO2) during the performance of unsupported and supported deep water running (DWR) in young healthy males and females. A second purpose was to compare regression of predicted VO2 on heart rate between the two methods of support (i.e., unsupported vs vest supported). Thirty‐three college‐aged students (18 males and 15 females), aged 19 to 28 years, volunteered for this study. Each subject completed practice sessions until satisfactory DWR performance was attained. Subjects returned for a VO2peak test in the water on a subsequent day. The test involved the performance of a DWR graded exercise test at a metronome cadence of 72 strides‐min−1 with a cadence increase of 12 strides min”1 in each subsequent 3 minute stage. Heart rate and VO2 were monitored continuously throughout the test. Statistical analysis of the difference in physiological stimulus between supported and unsupported DWR in female and male subjects was made using simple linear regression. F‐ratios were developed from the residual sum of squares of a restricted and unrestricted model to test the proposed hypotheses. It was shown that unsupported DWR is a mode of exercise that does not produce a graded physiological response. This study demonstrated that during unsupported DWR heart rate predicts VO2 in ml‐min−1 ‐kg−1 with the highest correlation coefficient and the lowest standard error in both gender groups. All developed regression equations were statistically different between gender and between the two methods of support.