Ventilatory response to rowing and cycling in elite oarswomen

Abstract

Rowing is a unique exercise for humans, and the imposed biomechanical motion may alter both respiratory mechanics and timing. To investigate the ventilatory patterns of competitive rowers while rowing, we studied the pulmonary function of eight members of the University of Washington Women's Crew and one former member of the 1984 Women's Olympic Rowing Team on a rowing ergometer. Ventilatory performance of the oarswomen was compared both with their performance to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer and with the ventilatory response of six untrained controls on a rowing and a cycle ergometer. We found rowing elicited a higher ventilatory response in both the oarswomen and controls in submaximal and maximal work loads (P less than 0.001). Both oarswomen and controls had higher maximal breathing frequencies when rowing compared with cycling [rowers, 54.7 +/- 1.9 vs 49.8 +/- 0.09 (SE) breaths/min, P less than 0.05; and controls, 53.6 +/- 2.5 vs. 49.2 +/- 4.7, P less than 0.05] and lower maximal tidal volumes (rowers, 1.94 +/- 0.12 vs. 2.21 +/- 0.09 liters, P less than 0.01; controls, 1.59 +/- 0.09 vs. 1.68 +/- 0.19, difference not significant). Both oarswomen and controls were more hypocapnic while rowing compared with cycling (rowers, P less than 0.001; controls, P less than 0.02), although oarswomen were less hypocapnic while rowing than nonrowers (P less than 0.03). These results indicate that rowing causes hyperventilation with a higher breathing frequency and lower tidal volume. This alteration of pattern is possibly secondary to a change in mechanics, which possibly arises from the generation of high exercise ventilation in a variable seated position.

Cardioventilatory changes induced by mentally imaged rowing

“…The hypothesis that entrainment of breathing improves the effectiveness of rowing has even been examined (Maclennan et al 1991;Steinacker et al 1993). Szal and Schoene (1989) found that rowing causes hyperventilation with higher breathing rate and lower tidal volume than cycling. These results were observed in both oarswomen and agematched untrained non-rower women.…”

High-Intensity Interval Exercise and Cerebrovascular Health: Curiosity, Cause, and Consequence

“…For example, rowing elicits strokeby-stroke fluctuations in blood pressure and CBF, 125 and the biomechanical motion of rowing provokes changes in respiratory mechanics including timing of breaths during the stroke, 126 which has been shown to uncouple the CBF response from the normal hyperventilation-induced hypocapnic lowering of CBF above 70% _ VO 2 max; CBF velocity in the MCA increased further during a 30-second sprint performance despite the lowering of the end-tidal PCO 2 .…”

Control of Breathing During Exercise

“…For heavy exercise leading to production of lactic acid,V E increases proportionately more thanV O 2 andV CO 2 . The slope of theV E -V O 2 orV CO 2 relationships are influenced by such conditions as exercise type (88,193,232,319), posture (88), muscle mass (16), acid-base status (121,259), levels of oxygenation (84,89,125), and levels of certain hormones or neurotransmitters (197,242,272,293). These relationships are less well established for non-human mammals, but based on changes in PaCO 2 (presented below), it appears that in most non-human species,V E increases during exercise proportionately more thanV O 2 andV CO 2 .…”

“…In non-human species, PaCO 2 homeostasis is not maintained during submaximal exercise ( Fig. 2) (47,70,116,124,130,195,203,241,263,264,281,302,319). Ponies ( Fig.…”