1998) Regression of oxygen consumption on heart rate during supported and unsupported deep water running in healthy mixed gender subjects, Sports Medicine, Training and Rehabilitation, 8:3,[291][292][293][294][295][296][297][298][299] The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between heart rate and oxygen consumption (VO 2 ) during the performance of unsupported and supported deep water running (DWR) in young healthy males and females. A second purpose was to compare regression of predicted VO 2 on heart rate between the two methods of support (i.e., unsupported vs vest supported). Thirty-three college-aged students (18 males and 15 females), aged 19 to 28 years, volunteered for this study. Each subject completed practice sessions until satisfactory DWR performance was attained. Subjects returned for a VO 2p eak test in the water on a subsequent day. The test involved the performance of a DWR graded exercise test at a metronome cadence of 72 strides-min -1 with a cadence increase of 12 strides min" 1 in each subsequent 3 minute stage. Heart rate and VO 2 were monitored continuously throughout the test. Statistical analysis of the difference in physiological stimulus between supported and unsupported DWR in female and male subjects was made using simple linear regression. F-ratios were developed from the residual sum of squares of a restricted and unrestricted model to test the proposed hypotheses. It was shown that unsupported DWR is a mode of exercise that does not produce a graded physiological response. This study demonstrated that during unsupported DWR heart rate predicts VO 2 in ml-min -1 -kg -1 with the highest correlation coefficient and the lowest standard error in both gender groups. All developed regression equations were statistically different between gender and between the two methods of support.