REF-923 · Bushman et al., 1997 · Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Vol. · Paper · PubMed

Effect of 4 wk of deep water run training on running performance

Blimited evidenceMeasured on trained to highly trained athletesWritten before October 2026, being re-checked

For 4 wk, eleven well-trained competitive runners trained only with deep water running, 5-6 d per week for 20-24 sessions in total, after first being given instruction and practice sessions. Testing before and after comprised a 5-km treadmill race, a submaximal run for running economy, and one combined test of lactate threshold and maximal oxygen consumption.

None of the four measures changed significantly, and Global Mood State was the same before, during and after the training. The authors conclude that 4 wk of deep water running in place of land training let competitive distance runners maintain their running performance.

Participants

Eleven competitive runners, all well trained: 1 female and 10 males; mean ± SD weight 70.4 ± 6.7 kg, height 179.8 ± 9.3 cm, age 32.5 ± 5.4 yr.

Protocol

4 wk of deep water run training only, 5-6 d per week, 20-24 sessions in total (22 ± 1.5 sessions).
Instruction and practice sessions before the training period.
Pre- and post-tests: a 5-km treadmill race run on a computer-based system; a submaximal run at an identical absolute workload, for running economy; and one combined test of lactate threshold and maximal oxygen consumption. Global Mood State was rated before training, weekly during it, and after.

Key Results

mean ± SEMPrePostP
5-km run time1142.7 ± 39.5 s1149.8 ± 36.9 s0.28
Submaximal oxygen consumption44.8 ± 1.2 mL/kg/min45.3 ± 1.5 mL/kg/min0.47
Lactate threshold running velocity249.1 ± 0.9 m/min253.6 ± 6.3 m/min0.44
Maximal oxygen consumption63.4 ± 1.3 mL/kg/min62.2 ± 1.3 mL/kg/min0.11
No significant differences in any of the four. No differences in Global Mood State across the period.

Practical Application

In eleven well-trained competitive runners who replaced all land running with deep water running for 4 wk (5-6 d a week, 20-24 sessions), 5-km treadmill time did not change (1142.7 s before, 1149.8 s after, P = 0.28), nor did running economy, lactate threshold velocity or maximal oxygen consumption. To "can I keep my 5-km fitness in the pool for a month?": these runners did.
The runners were taught the technique first (instruction and practice sessions) and trained nearly daily; that is the tested condition.
Inference, not tested here: with no control group, the study shows that performance was held, not that water running equals land running; the matched-group comparison over 6 wk is REF-922.
Not from this paper; the base's own practice: whether an injured runner may run in deep water is a clinician's call for that injury; the substitution rules are in SYNTH-73.

Limitations

No control group; a small sample with one woman.
The intensity and content of the water sessions are not given in the abstract.
The 5-km race was run on a treadmill, not on the road or track.
4 wk only; longer replacement was not tested, and the runners were healthy.
Written from the abstract and record metadata only (full text not read).
How this entry was checked and changed
Why this level

single-group pre-post design with n=11, no land-running control