Abstract
Purpose: Research establishing relationships between measures of rowing technique and velocity is limited. In this study, measures of technique and their effect on rowing velocity were investigated.Methods: Ten male singles, eight female singles, three male pairs, and six female pairs participated. Data from each stroke for forty-seven 2,000 m races were collected using Peach PowerLine and OptimEye S5 GPS units. General linear mixed modeling established modifying effects on velocity of two within-crew SD of predictor variables for each boat class, with subsequent adjustment for power, and for power and stroke rate in separate analyses. Twenty-two predictor variables were analyzed, including measures of boat velocity, gate force, and gate angle. Results were interpreted using superiority and inferiority testing with a smallest important change in velocity of 0.3%.Results: Substantial relationships with velocity were found between most variables assessed before adjustment for power, and for power and stroke rate. Effect magnitudes were reduced for most variables after adjustment for power and further reduced after adjustment for stroke rate and power, with precision becoming inadequate in many effects. The greatest modifying effects were found for stroke rate, mean and peak force, and power output before adjustment, and for catch angle after adjustment for stroke rate and power. Substantial between-crew differences in effects were evident for most predictors in some boat classes before adjustment and in some predictors and some boat classes after adjustment for stroke rate and power.Conclusion: The results presented reveal variables associated with improvements in rowing performance and can be used to guide technical analysis and feedback by practitioners. Higher stroke rates and greater catch angles should be targeted to improve rowing performance, and rower force development for the improvement of power output. Relationships between rowing technique and velocity can be crew-dependent and are best assessed on an individual basis for some variables.
Highlights
Rowing is a sport with high technical demand, whereby an athlete’s on-water performance ability is a product of their physiological work capacity and their technical ability
The effect of oar angle achievement on velocity has not been compared between boat classes and genders, larger arc angles are achievable in sculling than sweep rowing, and smaller arc angles have been reported in females compared to males (Kleshnev et al, 1998; Coker, 2010)
Consistent positive effects in all boat classes were found for stroke rate, within-stroke velocity range, power output, peak and mean power, and rate of force development
Summary
Rowing is a sport with high technical demand, whereby an athlete’s on-water performance ability is a product of their physiological work capacity and their technical ability. Determinants of Rowing Performance regarding beneficial areas of technical focus. Key areas for technical assessment include the oar angle rowed through (arc angle) and the application of force to the oar, as these measures contribute to propulsive work (Warmenhoven et al, 2018). Contradictory findings regarding the direction of the relationships between these variables and boat velocity have been observed (Coker, 2010). The effect of oar angle achievement on velocity has not been compared between boat classes and genders, larger arc angles are achievable in sculling (two oars per rower) than sweep rowing (one oar per rower), and smaller arc angles have been reported in females compared to males (Kleshnev et al, 1998; Coker, 2010). Arc angle is related to stroke rate, as arc angles decrease through reductions occurring predominantly to catch angle with increases in stroke rate above 24 strokes·min−1 (Kleshnev, 2007)
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