Rudiger, R. Wenzel, P., Rudolph, K., Zielger, M., von Duvillard, S. P., & Braumann, K. M. (2005). Physiological response to swimming in the flume and the pool. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 37(5), Supplement abstract 2174.

Swimmers (M = 13; F = 5) performed 200m incremental velocity tests until exhaustion in a flume, and a 25-m and 50-m pool.

There were no significant differences between conditions for heart rate, arm stroke rate, lactate, and oxygen uptake in the incremental test. At submaximal workloads, both pool swimming conditions were significantly higher in the measures than in the flume. Significantly more increments were performed in the flume than in either pool.

Implication. Swimming in a flume is easier at the same pace than in pool conditions. Less energy is required to perform at a given velocity in a flume. The higher economy in the flume can be explained by a smaller loss of kinetic energy to the moving water (it is greater in still water) and reduced static elements. Flume swimming altered technique and vortices in the stroke pattern.

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