Physiological and Mechanical Responses to a Graded Exercise Test in Traditional Rowing

Abstract

Maximum oxygen consumption and maximum power output are critical measures for training prescription in endurance sports such as rowing. The objective of this investigation was twofold: to compare the physiological and mechanical responses of female and male traditional rowers during a graded exercise test and to establish reference values in this specific rowing modality that have not yet been documented, unlike in Olympic rowing. Twenty-one highly trained/national level rowers participated in the study: 11 female (age: 30.1 ± 10.6 years, height: 167.3 ± 5.0 cm, body mass: 61.9 ± 4.9 kg) and 10 males (age: 33.5 ± 6.6 years, height: 180.8 ± 6.9 cm, body mass: 74.4 ± 6.9 kg). Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in rowing performance between sexes, with a very large effect size (d = 7.2). The peak power output for the female rowers was 180.9 ± 11.4 W and 287.0 ± 17.7 W for the male rowers. The female rowers reached a VO2max of 51.2 ± 6.6 mL/kg/min at a mean of 174.5 ± 12.9 W, while the males’ VO2max was 62.1 ± 4.7 mL/kg/min at a mean of 280.0 ± 20.5 W. These differences in VO2max and maximal aerobic capacity were significant (p < 0.05), with a large (d = 1.9) and very large (d = 6.2) effect size, respectively. A moderate association between VO2max, and rowing performance expressed in watts per kilogram of muscle mass was observed in the female rowers (r = 0.40, p = 0.228). For the male rowers, the correlation between VO2max and relative peak power output in watts per kilogram of body mass was strong (r = 0.68; p = 0.031). This study highlights the differences in the kinetics of ventilatory and mechanical parameters between female and male rowers and the importance of these differences for specific physical preparation in traditional rowing.

Physiological and Biomechanical Characteristics of Olympic and World-Class Rowers—Case Study

“…Furthermore, males generally have a higher ATP synthesis capacity, being able to sustain muscle contractions for longer, due to their elevated aerobic and anaerobic power along with muscle content, as can be seen from the higher power in the same intensity domain and the ability to produce higher levels of power at extreme intensity [47,48]. For more detailed information on gender differences, a customized test procedure for females may be helpful to better optimize training prescriptions [6,13].…”

“…While it is worth noting that some performance-related variables may show age-related declines [3], it is important to recognize the exceptional cases of rowers who have consistently achieved top results well into their late careers like Sir Steve Redgrave and Eskild Ebbesen [4]. Since oxygen uptake is highly correlated with rowing performance and is a critical measure for training prescriptions in rowing [5,6], studies suggest an age-related stabilization or even decline after the age of 20 [7,8], with similar behavior between sexes [9].…”

Impact of a short-term nitrate and citrulline co-supplementation on sport performance in elite rowers: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial

“…Among them, whole-body peak oxygen uptake (VO 2peak ) is a widely used outcome associated with performance and exercise capacity and determines the aerobic capacity of an individual (Bassett and Howley 2000 ). In professional rowers, the VO 2peak is positively correlated with performance during high-intensity endurance efforts lasting between 5 and 7 min (Papadakis et al 2022 ; Penichet-Tomas et al 2023 ). VO 2peak is partly determined by the capacity of the heart to provide blood to peripheral tissues—explained by the stroke volume and maximal heart rate—and therefore, maximum heart rate has been always considered a critical outcome (Coyle 2007 ).…”