Effect of water running and cycling on maximum oxygen consumption and 2-mile run performance

Abstract

This study compared water running, cycling, and run ning for maintaining VO₂max and 2-mile run perform ance over a 6-week training period. Thirty-two trained subjects between the ages of 18 and 26 were evaluated for maximum oxygen uptake (VO₂max) and 2-mile run performance. Subjects were stratified by a 2-mile run pretest into high, medium, and low performance levels and then randomly assigned to water running, cycling, or running training. The three groups trained with similar frequency, duration, and intensity over a 6-week period. After 6 weeks of training, all of the groups made a small but statistically significant decrease in fitness (VO₂max), but no change in 2-mile run time. However, there were no differences with respect to either training modality or pretraining performance level. It was concluded that over a 6-week period, runners who cannot run because of soft tissue injury can maintain VO₂max and 2-mile run performance similar to running training with either cycling or water running.