Cardiorespiratory responses during an aqua cycling class

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the relative exercise intensity and EE during an aqua cycling class and determine if aqua cycling meets ACSM guidelines for exercise prescription. Subjects completed an aqua cycling workout by following along to a pre- recorded video of an aqua cycling class. The total class was 50 minutes in length, including a 5-minute warm-up and a 5-minute cool-down. The average HR and %HRR were 115 + 13.7 bpm and 49 + 9.8%, respectively. The average VO2 and %VO2R were 20.3 + 3.15 ml/kg/min and 47 + 5.3%, respectively. The VO2 corresponded to an average of 5.8 + .90 METs. The average EE was 7.3 + 1.31 kcal/min. The number of calories expended during the entire workout averaged 363 + 65.5 kcals. The average RPE for the entire aqua cycling class was 11.0 + .79. Excluding the warm-up and cool-down, the average RPE for just the 40-minute workout portion of the class was 12.2 + .95. It was concluded that aqua cycling meets ACSM guidelines for improving cardiovascular endurance and controlling body composition and should be an enjoyable, low impact alternative for those individuals with orthopedic issues that make weight-bearing exercise problematic.