title: Physiological responses, rating of perceived exertion, and stride characteristics during walking on dry land and walking in water, both with and without a water current.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Walking in water has been included in rehabilitation programs. However, there is a dearth of information regarding the influence of a water current on physiological responses, rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and stride characteristics of subjects while they walk in water.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To compare physiological responses, RPE, and stride characteristics of subjects walking in water (with and without a current) with those of subjects walking on dry land.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  University laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  7 male adults (mean age = 21.6 y).
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects walked on a treadmill on dry land and on an underwater treadmill immersed to the level of the xiphoid process. The walking speeds in water were set to be half of that on dry land.
  
  
  METHODS
  Oxygen consumption (VO2), respiratory-exchange ratio (RER), heart rate (HR), minute ventilation (VE), RPE (for breathing and legs, RPE-Br and RPE-Legs, respectively), systolic (SBP) and diastolic (DBP) blood pressures, and stride frequency (SF) were measured. In addition, stride length (SL) was calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no significant difference in the VO2, RER, HR, VE, RPE-Br, and RPE-Legs while walking in water with a current compared with walking on dry land (P > .05). Furthermore, VO2, RER, HR, VE, RPE-Br, RPE-Legs, SF, and SBP while walking in water were significantly higher with a water current than without (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These observations suggest that half the speed should be required to work at the similar metabolic costs and RPE while walking in water with a current, compared with walking on dry land. Furthermore, it was suggested that the physiological responses and RPE would be higher while walking in water with a current than without.
authors: Faculty of Integrated Human Studies and Social Sciences, Fukuoka Prefectural University, Fukuoka, Japan.
authors: Kenji
authors: K
authors: Masumoto
authors: Ayako
authors: A
authors: Hamada
authors: Hiro-omi
authors: HO
authors: Tomonaga
authors: Kana
authors: K
authors: Kodama
authors: Noboru
authors: N
authors: Hotta
mesh_terms: D001794:Blood Pressure; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D011659:Pulmonary Gas Exchange; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water; D014872:Water Movements; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D014867:Water