A comparison of electromyography and stroke kinematics during ergometer and on-water rowing

Abstract

This study assessed muscle recruitment patterns and stroke kinematics during ergometer and on-water rowing to validate the accuracy of rowing ergometry. Male rowers (n = 10; age 21 ± 2 years, height 1.90 ± 0.05 m and body mass 83.3 ± 4.8 kg) performed 3 × 3 min exercise bouts, at heart and stroke rates equivalent to 75, 85 and 95% VO2peak, on both dynamic and stationary rowing ergometers, and on water. During exercise, synchronised data for surface electromyography (EMG) and 2D kinematics were recorded. Overall muscle activity was quantified by the integration of rmsEMG and averaged for each 10% interval of the stroke cycle. Muscle activity significantly increased in rectus femoris (RF) and vastus medialis (VM) (P <0.01), as exercise intensity increased. Comparing EMG data across conditions revealed significantly (P <0.05) greater RF and VM activity during on-water rowing at discrete 10% intervals of stroke cycle. In addition, the drive/recovery ratio was significantly lower during dynamic ergometry compared to on-water (40 ± 1 vs. 44 ± 1% at 95%, P <0.01). Results suggest that significant differences exist while comparing recruitment and kinematic patterns between on-water and ergometer rowing. These differences may be due to altered acceleration and deceleration of moving masses on-ergometer not perfectly simulating the on-water scenario.

The Impact of the Progressive Efficiency Test on a Rowing Ergometer on White Blood Cells Distribution and Clinical Chemistry Changes in Paralympic Rowers During the Preparatory Stage Before the Paralympic Games in Rio, 2016 – A Case Report

“…Testing rowers in simulated conditions using a rowing ergometer enables to obtain results reflecting those reached in natural (racing shell, on water) conditions ( Buckeridge et al, 2015 ; Fleming et al, 2014 ). Interestingly, the values of some biochemical variables analysed in this study were above the reference range values established for the general population.…”

Rowers with a recent history of low back pain engage different regions of the lumbar erector spinae during rowing

“…Previous studies using classic bipolar EMG techniques have evaluated lumbar ES activation in healthy rowers 3,[25][26][27] , but no previous study has investigated the distribution of activity within the lumbar ES during rowing. During incremental exercise, healthy rowers show no significant displacement of ES activity up to loads ~45% of the peak power output.…”

“…or to onwater sculling25 . Nonetheless, it is possible that results may differ when performed on a dynamic ergometer (i.e.…”

Experimental Substantiation of Special Training Simulators Application during Canoeists’ Training Process / Specialių treniruoklių taikymo eksperimentinis pagrindimas rengiant kanojininkus

“…The second important condition of aptitude of applied simulator to the structure of movements in competitive exercise is meeting the requirement of power load playback (Саносян, Аракелян, 2004;Fleming et al, 2007;Chodinow, Kaca, 2010;Дьяченко, Замотин, 2012;Корнилов et al, 2014). This condition is provided by the return mechanism, made in the form of a flywheel, where the load simulates the resistance, exerted on the paddle blade during the reach.…”