Aquatic cycling—What do we know? A scoping review on head-out aquatic cycling

Abstract

Over the past few years, aquatic cycling has become a trending fitness activity. However, the literature has not been reviewed exhaustively. Therefore, using scoping review methodology, the aim of this review was to explore the current state of the literature concerning aquatic cycling. This study specifically focused on study designs, populations and outcomes. A comprehensive search of seven databases (PubMed, MEDLINE, Cinahl, Embase, PEDro,Web of Science, WorldCat) was conducted up to 30th September 2016. GoogleScholar, World Cat, ResearchGate, specific aquatic therapy websites and aquatic therapy journals were searched to identify additional literature. Full-text publications in English, German or Dutch were included. Studies were included when the intervention involved head-out cycling carried out in 10° to 35° Celsius water. Exclusion criteria were the use of wet suits or confounding interventions that would affect participants’ homeostasis. 63 articles were included and the study parameters of these studies were summarized. Using three grouping themes, included studies were categorised as 1) single session tests comparing aquatic versus land cycling, or 2) aquatic cycling only sessions investigating different exercise conditions and 3) aquatic cycling intervention programmes. Although the experimental conditions differed noticeably across the studies, shared characteristics were identified. Cardiovascular parameters were investigated by many of the studies with the results suggesting that the cardiac demand of aquatic cycling seems similar to land-based cycling. Only six studies evaluated the effect of aquatic cycling interventions. Therefore, future research should investigate the effects of aquatic cycling interventions, preferably in individuals that are expected to gain health benefits from aquatic cycling. Moreover, this comprehensive outline of available literature could serve as a starting point for systematic reviews or clinical studies on the effects of aquatic cycling on the cardiovascular responses.

Land vs. water HIIE effects on muscle oxygenation and physiological parameter responses in postmenopausal women

“…Therefore, water-based exercises are suitable for special groups such as postmenopausal women and older adults 21 . Several previous studies showed that aquatic exercise training had cardiovascular benefits 22,23 , especially for those with high risk musculoskeletal conditions 24 .…”

Reabilitação Aquática Após Evento Cardíaco

“…Os parâmetros cardiovasculares foram investigados por muitos dos estudos envolvendo ciclismo aquático e os resultados sugerem que a exigência cardíaca de ciclismo aquático parece ser semelhante ao ciclismo terrestre (13) .…”

Energy Intake and Appetite Sensations Responses to Aquatic Cycling in Healthy Women: The WatHealth Study

“…The popularity of water-based activities, mainly aqua-cycling, has shown an impressive progression for the last couple of years, especially in women who are looking for weight control and weight management. A recent systematic review from Rewald et al [ 3 ] showed that studies comparing land- vs. water-based exercises mainly focused on cardiovascular adaptations during protocols for maximal aerobic capacity testing. Brechat et al [ 4 ] have studied the metabolic adaptations to water-cycling exercise in healthy young men, showing a 25% increased oxygen consumption during water compared with land exercise.…”