Aquatic High Intensity Interval Deep Water Running Influence on Cardiometabolic Health and Cognitive Psychological Responses in Women

Aquatic high-intensity interval training deep water running (AHIIT-DWR) has the potential to improve cardiometabolic health and cognitive psychological responses, offering a reduced risk of injuries and greater affordability for inactive elderly women. Purpose To investigate the effects of an 8-wk AHIIT-DWR intervention compared with land-based HIT training (LHIIT) on cardiometabolic health, cognitive, and psychological outcomes in inactive elderly women. Methods Seventy inactive elderly women aged 60 yr or above were randomly assigned into two groups: AHIIT-DWR and LHIIT. The AHIIT-DWR group engaged in DWR sessions comprising 30 min of interval training, consisting of ten 2-min exercise bouts at 80%-90% of their maximal heart rate (HRmax), with 1-min active recovery at 70% HRmax between bouts, for two sessions per week, for 8 wk. The LHIIT group performed treadmill running at the same intensity. Results Both groups showed similar cardiovascular fitness, maximal aerobic capacity (VO2max), HRmax, and RER improvement (P > 0.05), whereas AHIIT-DWR showed a significant improvement in aerobic capacity minute ventilation (VE), metabolic equivalents (METs), and O2 pulse (P < 0.05) over the 8-wk intervention. Both AHIIT-DWR and LHIIT significantly decreased triglycerides, total cholesterol, HDL, and LDL postintervention (P < 0.05). No significant group differences were observed for cognitive function assessed by MMSE and MOCA (P > 0.05). Both groups showed similar enjoyment levels, self-efficacy scores, and high adherence rates (>90%). Conclusions Our study suggests that AHIIT-DWR can elicit a similar improvement in cardiorespiratory health, metabolic blood markers, cognitive function assessed by MMSE and MOCA, and psychological responses as LHIIT in inactive elderly women.