Abstract

The aim of this study was to analyze the vertical ground reaction force (V-GRF) during stationary running exercise performed in aquatic and dry land environments by patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). Material and Method. Nine patients with DM2 performed one session in each environment consisting of the stationary running exercise performed at 2 cadences (80 and 120 b.min-1). In addition, the maximum velocity (MAX) was performed only in aquatic environment. Repeated measures two-way ANOVA and paired t tests were used to analyze the peak V-GRF (α = 5%). Results.
The results revealed significantly lower peak V-GRF values during the stationary running performed in the aquatic compared with the dry land environment. Furthermore, significantly lower peak V-GRF values were observed at the cadence of 80 than at 120 b.min-1 in both environments. The peak V-GRF at MAX intensity revealed significantly greater values than the cadence of 120 b.min-1 in the aquatic environment and significantly lower values than the cadence of 120 b.min-1 on dry land.
Conclusion. The aquatic environment is a potential alternative to training patients with DM2 because patients are able to exercise at greater cadences than on dry land with a lower impact and, consequently, a lower risk of injuries.