Oxygen uptake ( O) and pulmonary ventilation ( E) during military surface fin swimming in a swimming flume: Effects of surface immersion.

: During military fin swimming, we suspected that oxygen uptake ( O) and pulmonary ventilation ( E) might be much higher than expected. In this framework, we compared these variables in the responses of trained military divers during land cycling and snorkeling exercises. : Eighteen male military divers (32.3 ± 4.2 years; 178.0 ± 5.0 cm; 76.4 ± 3.4 kg; 24.1 ± 2.1 kg m) participated in this study. They performed two test exercises on two separate days: a maximal incremental cycle test ( condition), and an incremental fin swimming ( condition) in a motorized swimming flume. : The respective and O were 3,701 ± 39 mL min and 4,029 ± 63 mL min ( = 0.07), these values were strongly correlated ( = 0.78 < 0.01). Differences in O between conditions increased relative to O ( = 0.4 = 0.01). E values were significantly lower than E values ( = 0.01). This result was related to both the significantly lower Vt and ( < 0.01 and <0.04, respectively). Consequently, the E / O ratios were significantly lower than the corresponding ratios for values ( < 0.01), and the and E were not correlated. Other parameters measured at exhaustion-PaO, PaCO, and SO - were similar in and conditions. Furthermore, no significant differences between and conditions were observed for peak values for heart rate, blood lactate concentration, and respiratory exchange ratio R. Surface immersion did not significantly reduce the O in trained divers relative to conditions. As long as O remained below O , the E values were identical in the two conditions. Only at O was E higher on land. Although reduced by immersion, E provided adequate pulmonary gas exchange during maximal fin swimming.