PMID 39469607

Research
All papers

Acute effect of resistive aquatic high-intensity interval training on metabolic costs in adults

Kwok MMY, Ng SSM, Ng YM, Tan GCC, Huang PP, Zhang Y, So BCL

Question

Does adding resistive boots to aquatic HIIT change acute metabolic cost and perceived effort compared with standard aquatic HIIT?

Summary

In 20 healthy young adults, a single aquatic HIIT session with resistance boots produced similar acute energy-expenditure and resting-metabolic effects to matched aquatic HIIT without boots. Participants were screened and supervised by an aquatic physiotherapist, and all completed the protocols.

Methodology

  • Twenty clinically healthy young adults
  • 20 participants.
  • Aquatic stationary running with resistance boots.
  • Work intervals: 1 minute.
  • Recovery: 1 minute dynamic rest.
  • Intensity: 90% HRmax work, 70% HRmax recovery.
  • 20 minutes including warm-up and cool-down.
  • Single acute session.
  • Acute crossover.
  • Randomized crossover acute exercise study
  • Resting energy expenditure, Respiratory exchange ratio, Perceived exertion, and Heart rate were tracked.

Outcomes

REE

Resting energy expenditure increased after both aquatic HIIT protocols.

Time effect p<0.01; group x time p=0.76.

Improved

RER

RER decreased after exercise in both groups without a between-group difference.

Time effect p<0.05; group x time p=0.88.

Mixed

Energy

Total energy expenditure did not differ between standard and resistive aquatic HIIT.

Between-group p=0.59.

No clear change

RPE

RPE increased in both conditions, with some evidence that the resistive protocol felt harder.

Time effect p<0.01; table between-group p=0.11, discussion reports p=0.007.

Mixed

Insights

  • A 5 x 1-minute aquatic HIIT format can raise acute metabolic measures in healthy adults.
  • Adding resistance boots may increase perceived effort without clearly improving energy expenditure.
  • Pool-based HIIT has safety and access constraints that differ from land-based app programming.

Limitations

  • Small sample of healthy young adults.
  • Acute effects only.
  • Findings may not generalize to older adults or clinical populations.
  • Long-term training outcomes were not measured.

Safety

  • Adverse events were not explicitly reported.
  • Participants were screened for health status, pregnancy, hydrophobia, relevant disease, recent lower-limb injury or surgery, and contraindications to aquatic exercise.
  • All 20 participants completed incremental tests and both aquatic HIIT protocols under registered aquatic physiotherapist supervision.