Table 5 Physiological characteristics of female runners by velocity and different levels of body weight support
|  | 12.9 km·h−1 (3.58 m·s−1) | Difference between 0% BWS ± 90 CL (ES)a | Difference between BWS ± 90 CL (ES)b | 14.5 km·h−1 (4.03 m·s−1) | Difference between 0% BWS ± 90 CL (ES) | Difference between BWS ± 90 CL (ES) | 16.1 km·h−1 (4.47 m·s−1) | Difference between 0% BWS ± 90 CL (ES) | Difference between BWS ± 90 CL (ES) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Running economy (VO2 ml·kg−1·min−1) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 43.5 ± 3.6 |  |  | 48.3 ± 4.0 |  |  | 55.6 ± 4.8 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 37.2 ± 4.0 | − 14.7 ± 3.5 (1.66) |  | 41.1 ± 5.0 | − 15.3 ± 4.4 (1.70) |  | 48.7 ± 5.5 | − 13.1 ± 4.1 (2.29) |  |
 20% BWS | 29.1 ± 3.3 | − 33.2 ± 4.2 (4.22) | − 21.7 ± 2.2 (2.56) | 32.0 ± 3.9 | − 34.0 ± 5.0 (4.24) | − 22.1 ± 2.5 (2.55) | 38.0 ± 4.4 | − 31.8 ± 5.1 (6.45) | − 21.6 ± 3.0 (4.16) |
 30% BWS | 26.5 ± 2.9 | − 39.2 ± 4.3 (5.21) | − 9.0 ± 2.7 (0.99) | 28.7 ± 3.4 | − 40.8 ± 5.0 (5.35) | − 10.3 ± 2.5 (1.11) | 34.8 ± 4.4 | − 37.6 ± 6.4 (8.04) | − 8.5 ± 3.5 (1.59) |
Respiratory exchange ratio (VCO2/VO2) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 0.83 ± 0.06 |  |  | 0.84 ± 0.06 |  |  | 0.86 ± 0.06 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 0.82 ± 0.05 | − 0.6 ± 6.6 (0.22) |  | 0.81 ± 0.05 | − 3.9 ± 5.3 (0.53) |  | 0.84 ± 0.05 | − 1.6 ± 6.9 (0.22) |  |
 20% BWS | 0.82 ± 0.05 | − 0.6 ± 9.0 (0.40) | 0.0 ± 2.7 (0.18) | 0.83 ± 0.05 | − 1.0 ± 7.4 (0.14) | 3.0 ± 4.3 (0.39) | 0.83 ± 0.04 | − 3.0 ± 6.9 (0.40) | − 1.4 ± 2.2 (0.18) |
 30% BWS | 0.81 ± 0.04 | − 2.0 ± 8.0 (0.09) | − 1.4 ± 3.6 (0.31) | 0.85 ± 0.04 | 0.4 ± 7.7 (0.06) | 1.5 ± 1.8 (0.20) | 0.85 ± 0.04 | − 0.7 ± 7.6 (0.09) | 2.4 ± 2.6 (0.31) |
Minute ventilation (L·min−1) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 44.7 ± 3.7 |  |  | 50.8 ± 6.0 |  |  | 57.0 ± 7.0 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 42.2 ± 5.5 | − 6.0 ± 7.3 (0.63) |  | 45.0 ± 6.0 | − 11.6 ± 5.8 (0.87) |  | 52.4 ± 6.5 | − 8.2 ± 7.3 (0.59) |  |
 20% BWS | 38.3 ± 6.8 | − 15.2 ± 13.3 (1.69) | − 9.8 ± 7.3 (1.05) | 42.3 ± 6.9 | − 17.2 ± 6.4 (1.33) | − 6.3 ± 7.7 (0.46) | 46.7 ± 6.2 | − 18.1 ± 7.9 (1.38) | − 10.8 ± 5.3 (0.79) |
 30% BWS | 36.0 ± 5.3 | − 19.9 ± 10.4 (2.28) | − 5.6 ± 8.9 (0.59) | 41.1 ± 6.9 | − 19.5 ± 7.8 (1.54) | − 2.9 ± 4.6 (0.21) | 45.0 ± 7.9 | − 21.7 ± 11.1 (1.69) | − 4.4 ± 6.5 (0.31) |
Respiratory frequency (breathes·min−1) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 38.0 ± 4.6 |  |  | 38.8 ± 4.4 |  |  | 41.2 ± 6.4 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 35.9 ± 9.7 | − 7.9 ± 21.2 (0.63) |  | 38.3 ± 8.3 | − 2.6 ± 14.1 (0.20) |  | 38.7 ± 5.6 | − 5.8 ± 16.9 (0.20) |  |
 20% BWS | 33.7 ± 4.7 | − 11.6 ± 10.6 (0.94) | − 4.0 ± 14.7 (0.31) | 34.9 ± 5.4 | − 10.4 ± 14.3 (0.84) | − 8.0 ± 13.6 (0.63) | 37.1 ± 3.9 | − 9.2 ± 14.7 (0.84) | − 3.6 ± 8.4 (0.63) |
 30% BWS | 30.5 ± 4.1 | − 19.9 ± 3.8 (1.70) | − 9.4 ± 9.6 (0.76) | 32.7 ± 2.9 | − 15.7 ± 12.4 (1.30) | − 5.9 ± 8.6 (0.46) | 35.8 ± 3.7 | − 12.5 ± 17.5 (1.30) | − 3.7 ± 8.4 (0.46) |
Heart rate (BPM) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 151 ± 14 |  |  | 161 ± 14 |  |  | 168 ± 14 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 142 ± 13 | − 5.5 ± 4.3 (0.57) |  | 151 ± 13 | − 6.7 ± 4.2 (0.73) |  | 156 ± 15 | − 7.4 ± 5.2 (0.88) |  |
 20% BWS | 133 ± 16 | − 12.0 ± 7.5 (1.27) | − 6.8 ± 7.8 (0.70) | 142 ± 15 | − 12.1 ± 4.8 (1.37) | − 5.8 ± 4.4 (0.55) | 148 ± 13 | − 12.2 ± 5.3 (1.49) | − 4.3 ± 5.1 (0.61) |
 30% BWS | 129 ± 18 | − 14.7 ± 8.6 (1.58) | − 3.1 ± 13.2 (0.31) | 135 ± 15 | − 16.6 ± 6.3 (1.92) | − 5.1 ± 9.0 (0.64) | 142 ± 15 | − 15.9 ± 4.8 (2.00) | − 4.3 ± 5.7 (0.50) |
RPE (6–20 AU) | |||||||||
 0% BWS | 13.3 ± 1.8 |  |  | 14.4 ± 1.9 |  |  | 15.1 ± 1.7 |  |  |
 10% BWS | 11.9 ± 1.6 | − 10.4 ± 3.8 (0.70) |  | 13.0 ± 1.5 | − 9.5 ± 3.1 (0.66) |  | 13.8 ± 1.6 | − 9.2 ± 3.8 (0.73) |  |
 20% BWS | 11.0 ± 1.3 | − 16.8 ± 5.2 (1.18) | − 7.2 ± 3.2 (0.48) | 11.9 ± 1.6 | − 17.5 ± 4.1 (1.28) | − 8.9 ± 3.8 (0.62) | 12.6 ± 1.7 | − 16.7 ± 4.4 (1.39) | − 8.3 ± 3.0 (0.81) |
 30% BWS | 9.8 ± 1.4 | − 26.5 ± 6.6 (1.98) | − 11.6 ± 5.3 (0.79) | 10.6 ± 1.5 | − 26.2 ± 5.2 (2.02) | − 10.6 ± 3.9 (0.74) | 11.4 ± 1.6 | − 25.1 ± 6.8 (2.19) | − 10.1 ± 8.2 (0.66) |