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Target intensity and interval walking training in water to enhance physical fitness in middle-aged and older women: a randomised controlled study

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Abstract

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.

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Abbreviations

BMI:

Body mass index

DBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

F EXT :

Knee extension force

F FLX :

Knee flexion force

GET:

Gas exchange threshold

HR:

Heart rate

HRGET :

HR at GET

HRpeak :

HR at \(\dot{V}\)O2peak

IWT:

Interval walking training

LG:

Land group

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

SBP:

Systolic blood pressure

\(\dot{V}\)CO2 :

Carbon dioxide production rate

VM:

Vector magnitude of tri-axial accelerations

\(\dot{V}\)O2 :

Oxygen consumption rate

\(\dot{V}\)O2GET :

\(\dot{V}\)O2 at GET

\(\dot{V}\)O2peak :

Peak oxygen consumption rate

WG:

Water group

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (Comprehensive Research on Ageing and Health) and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (24240089).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Sports Medical Sciences, Shinshu University Graduate School of Medicine, 3-1-1 Asahi, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan

    Shuichi Handa, Shizue Masuki, Takuya Ohshio, Yoshi-ichiro Kamijo & Hiroshi Nose

  2. Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Shinshu University, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan

    Shizue Masuki, Yoshi-ichiro Kamijo & Hiroshi Nose

  3. Mimaki Spa Clinic, Tomi, 389-0402, Japan

    Shuichi Handa & Takuya Ohshio

  4. Department of Environmental Health, Faculty of Human Life and Environment, Nara Women’s University, Nara, 630-8506, Japan

    Akira Takamata

Authors
  1. Shuichi Handa
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  2. Shizue Masuki
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  3. Takuya Ohshio
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  4. Yoshi-ichiro Kamijo
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  5. Akira Takamata
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  6. Hiroshi Nose
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Correspondence to Hiroshi Nose.

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No conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise, are declared by the authors.

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Communicated by David C. Poole.

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Handa, S., Masuki, S., Ohshio, T. et al. Target intensity and interval walking training in water to enhance physical fitness in middle-aged and older women: a randomised controlled study. Eur J Appl Physiol 116, 203–215 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3267-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3267-9

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