Water environment is an effective tool to improve strength and may increase the muscle mass both in older and younger physically active people. Many different devices are used in aquatic resistance training. There are two kinds of devices: floating and drag, which may be of different sizes. However, the evidence for the effect of carrying out the maximum velocity of movement with different devices is scant.

Water environment is an effective tool to improve strength and may increase the muscle mass both in older and younger physically active people. Many different devices are used in aquatic resistance training. There are two kinds of devices: floating and drag, which may be of different sizes. However, the evidence for the effect of carrying out the maximum velocity of movement with different devices is scant. PURPOSE: To compare upper extremity muscle activation during shoulder extension performed at maximum velocity with 4 different aquatic devices. METHODS: 24 physically fit and healthy subjects (23.2 ± 1.18 years) took part in a randomized, within-subject design assessment. The maximum isometric voluntary contraction (MIVC) was evaluated for the normalization of the electromyographic measures. Latissimus dorsi (LD) muscular activity was recorded and the maximum root mean square values were calculated for each condition. Surface electromyography was isolated and the activity was analyzed during 3 repetitions of shoulder extension performed with 4 aquatic devices: Drag Gloves (DG), Drag Copyright © 2013 by the American College of Sports Medicine. Unauthorized reproduction of this article is prohibited.113 Wetshapers (DW), Floating Dumbells (FD) and Floating Wristbands (FW). All values were expressed as the %EMG and compared using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures. Significance level was set at p<0.05. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the performance of the aquatic exercise in the four conditions (DW, DG, FD and FW) (p = 0.390) (Graph 1). CONCLUSION: When training in a water environment, different size and kind (drag and floating) of devices can lead to similar muscle activation when the movement is performed at maximum velocity. Graph 1: Percentage of maximum muscle activation of latissimus dorsi (%EMG LD)