Pool Running 101.
Cari Setzler
USATF Level I and Level II Endurance Certified Coach.
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Benefits of Pool Running.
Cross training is often used by runners in times of injury. It can also be implemented into a
current running program to help increase fitness, reduce the risk of injury, and recover from
intense workouts. The best cross training activity for runners is aqua running do to it’s specificity
to the neuromuscular movements used while running.
Aqua running can be especially beneficial to those athletes with sore knees, achilles tendon
injuries, plantar fasciitis, calf injuries, hamstring injuries, and stress fractures.
Four things that make pool running a great cross training activity include.
(1)
(2)
There are no impact forces during aqua running, damaged muscles and connective
tissues are protected and often exhibit no pain during water activity.
Normal running form can be somewhat duplicated during aqua running movements, so
there is a reasonable hope that running-specific neuromuscular patterns of activity will be
preserved and running-specific strength will be maintained, even though no “real”
running is being carried out.
(3) High intensities of exercise can be sustained in the pool, so it's possible that running fitness
might not decline excessively during injury periods (without any training at all, an individual
who runs in his/her sport can expect to lose 3 to 4 per cent of aerobic capacity within one
week after stopping training - and around 15 per cent after six weeks).
(4) Great range of motion is permitted in the water; as a result, aqua running proponents
contend that flexibility and dynamic mobility may actually be enhanced during the aqua
training period.
Research Says….
Studies have substantiated the benefits of pool running for beginners and elite athletes
alike.
 A study in 1993 took 32 runners who could complete 1.5 miles in 10:45.
They were divided into groups that then either ran on a treadmill, pool ran
with a vest, or biked only. The trained at 80% of their max heart rate for 30
minutes, 5 times a week. All 3 groups increased fitness by 2%.
('Effect of Water Running and Cycling on Maximum Oxygen Consumption
and 2-Mile Run Performance,' The American Journal of Sports Medicine, vol.
21(1), pp. 41-44, 1993).

In a separate study carried out at the University of Toledo, 11 well-trained
competitive runners (10 males and one female) trained exclusively in deep
water for a period of four weeks, averaging five to six workouts per week.
The athletes were able to perfectly preserve treadmill 5-K race performance
(which averaged about 19 minutes flat), VO2max, and running economy,
even though they completed no treadmill or regular running at all during the
four-week investigation ('Effect of 4 Weeks of deep water run training on
running performance,' Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Vol.
29(5), pp. 694-9, 1997).

Another study at the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse showed that adding
Pool running to a training program can improve lactate threshold in already
well conditioned runners.
Heart Rate and Pool running
Running in the water may feel more difficult than running at the same heart rate or percent
VO2max on dry land. Athletes who use heart rate to gauge the intensity of their training should
be aware that max heart rate during pool running is often about 8 to 10 percent lower, compared
to normal running ('Running on Land and in Water: Comparative Exercise Physiology,' Medicine
and Science in Sports and Exercise, vol. 24(10), pp. 1155-1160, 1992).
Therefore, if an athlete uses heart rate as a gauge to determine effort level, the following
adjustments should be made.


reduced peak heart rate (22beats/min lower); and
reduced VO2max (17% lower) in response to maximal water running compared with
treadmill running.
Wilder et al 1993
Furthermore, it was shown that cadence correlates well with heart rate and can there for be used
to create workouts (example 15 min at 90 revolutions per leg per minute ).
Running Workouts in the pool




Virtually all land workouts can be converted to the pool including easy runs, long runs,
threshold, VO2 max, drills, and even lactate work.
It is important to establish good pool running technique before beginning more intense
pool workouts.
Make sure to stay hydrated while pool running. Plan to drink water as frequently as you
would on land/treadmill.
The average runner takes 90 steps per foot per minute while running. Therefore, try to
come as close to this as possible during pool running. Due to resistance, 80 rev/min is a
reasonable goal.
Proper Pool Technique
Proper Pool Running Technique is essential to get the most benefit from your time spent in the
pool.
1.
Always use a flotation belt when pool running.
2.
You need to be in a pool deep enough that your feet
do not touch when you wear the aqua belt.
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3.
Keep an up right position. Do NOT
lean at the waist!
4.
Drive your arms past your hips keeping
the elbows bent at a 90 degree angle.
Keep hands relaxed.
5.
Recover your knee to your butt. Do not
Extend your leg straight back. Think
Quick leg drill!
7.
Bring your leg through high, and drive the knee high and bring the
foot through.. When bringing your leg down, do not extend the
knee (this protects against hyper extension during faster work).
6.
7.
Bring your leg straight down underneath you.
For easy runs try to keep cadence to 80 revolutions per leg
per minutes once you have correct form. For harder workouts increase cadence
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