Relationship of heart rate and oxygen uptake kinetics during deep water running in the adult population - Ages 50 to 70 years

This study was performed to investigate the relationship between heart rate (KR) as a percentage of peak HR and oxygen uptake (V over dot O-2) as a percentage of peak V over dot O-2, in older adults while performing deep water running (DWR). Twenty-three(14 male and 9 female) apparently healthy older adults, age 50 to 70 years, volunteered Deep water running to V over dot O-2peak, was performed in 3-min stages at leg speeds controlled by a metronome beginning at 60 strides per minute and increasing 12 strides per minute each additional stage. Oxygen uptake and IIR were continuously monitored by open-circuit spirometry and radiotelemetry, respectively. Simple linear regression analysis was used to establish the relationship between the physiological variables. The relationship between %V over dot O-2peak, and %HRpeak was statistically significant, with the male (%V over dot O-2peak = 1.5301 [%HRpeak] - 54.4932 [r =.96, SEE = 6.0%]) and female (%V over dot O-2peak = 1.5904 [%HRpeak]- 62.3935 [r=.91, SEE =6.9%]) regression equations being significantly different (p <.05). The regression equations of older adults and those for college-aged males (%VO2peak = 1.4634 [%HRpeak] -49.619) and females (%V over dot O-2peak = 1.6649 [%HRpeak] - 67.862) were not significantly different.