Effectiveness of Utilizing Underwater Treadmill to Reduce Overuse Injuries and Improve Times in High School Cross Country Runners

Abstract

Underwater treadmill (UTM) exercise is emerging as an innovative method of injury rehabilitation, but there has been little research on performance and injury prevention. The low-impact nature of UTM has been suggested to expedite recovery while providing a cardiovascular training effect. Our aim was to test our hypothesis that UTM would decrease overuse symptoms and increase performance in high school cross country runners.