Deep-water running: a practical review of the literature 1 Javier Vilamitjana, MSc; 2 Terry Nelson, MT 1 CENARD (National Centre of High Performance Athletics), Bs As Argentina 2 Aqua Running HBS Ltd, Liverpool, England INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE Deep-water running (DWR) is performed in the deep end of a swimming pool, normally with the aid of a flotation vest or a special suit with hydro buoyancy system. The method is used for preventing injuries, recovery from strenuous exercise or competition or as a form of complementary training for cardiovascular fitness. Responses to training programmes have confirmed the efficacy of deep- water running but proper DWR technique should mimic the patterns of land-based running. Taking into account that concept of training specificity should be further considered when prescribing DWR, we discuss biomechanical and physiological aspects in order to analyze the validity and applicability of individual implications examined in the literature. METHOD Search of previously published studies was made using Pub Med database. Examples of key words used in the searches include “deep-water running”, aqua running” or “water running”. RESULTS - Physiological Implications The method of DWR is used for different purposes: 1- as preventing injury, 2- injury – rehabilitation, 3- promoting recovery from strenuous exercise, or 4- as a form of complementary or supplementary training for cardiovascular fitness. 1- Only one study supports the use of DWR for reducing the compressive load on the spine in both injured and uninjured runners (Dowzer 1998). The final conclusion was that running in deep water produced significantly less spinal shrinkage than either the treadmill or shallow water conditions, no difference being evident between the treadmill and shallow water running; 2- Liem et. al. (2013) concluded that DWR is also used as an injury-rehabilitation technique for limb stress fracture in runners. Lauder et. al. (2001) found evidence that DWR is a beneficial alternative activity for military people who could not engage in regular training activities due to injuries; 3- One study proved DWR as a conventional physical training in the days after competition (Reilly, 2002): Running water was superior to other putative methods of reducing muscle soreness and restoring muscle strength following ‘‘stretch shortening regimen”. CK concentrations peaked 24 h earlier and at a lower value in the group employing DWR compared with the other groups, and soreness was eliminated while participants were running in deep water, having allowed exercise to proceed pain free. The DWR strategy also enabled participants to maintain range of motion at the hip joint while they were experiencing soreness. These factors could be linked with the smaller decline in leg strength that occurred when DWR was employed. 4- DWR maximal heart rate and oxygen consumption values have been consistently shown to be lower than those found during running on dry land (ie. Dowzer 1999; Frangolias 1995; Mercer 1997, 1998; Nakanishi 1999; Reilly 2003; Svedenhag 1992;). Other evidence reveals that DWR is a comparable form of submaximal intensity exercise as treadmill regimens in well-trained athletes (DeMaere 1997), or when the subjects were elderly women (Broman et. al. 2006). Therefore, sedentary individuals benefit more than athletes in improving maximal oxygen uptake and maximal ventilation with the effects transferable to land based activities (Reilly 2003; Broman 2006).