Published in:
01-01-2016 | Original Article
Target intensity and interval walking training in water to enhance physical fitness in middle-aged and older women: a randomised controlled study
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 1/2016
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Purpose
To determine the target intensity for fast walking during interval walking training (IWT) in water for middle-aged and older people to enhance physical fitness.
Methods
Thirty-one women [59±5 (SD) years old] were randomly divided into two groups: IWT on land (LG, N = 15) and in water (WG, N = 16). All subjects were instructed to perform ≥6 sets of fast and slow walking for 3 min each in a day, ≥4 days week−1, for 8 weeks, at an intensity 35 % higher than the oxygen consumption rate at the gas exchange threshold (\(\dot{V}\)O2GET), with a subjective feeling of 16–18 points of the Borg scale during fast walking in each condition. Before and after IWT, we measured \(\dot{V}\)O2GET, peak aerobic capacity (\(\dot{V}\)O2peak) by graded walking and cycling tests on land and isometric knee extension (F
EXT) and flexion (F
FLX) forces.
Results
Before IWT, the \(\dot{V}\)O2GET for walking in water was 14 % higher and the heart rate (HR) at a given \(\dot{V}\)O2 was ~10 beats min−1 lower (P=0.001) than on land. During IWT, subjects in both groups performed IWT for ~4 days week−1 (P > 0.9) with a 14 % higher fast walking intensity in WG than in LG (P < 0.05). After IWT, the \(\dot{V}\)O2peak and \(\dot{V}\)O2GET for cycling, F
EXT and F
FLX increased more in WG than in LG (all, P < 0.05).
Conclusion
Walking in water elevated \(\dot{V}\)O2GET and decreased HR at a given exercise intensity in middle-aged and older women, which enabled them to perform exercise at a higher metabolic rate than on land due to improved subjective feelings, which, for these subjects, resulted in greater gains in physical fitness.