Rowing ergometry for assessment of aerobic fitness in children

Rowing ergometry has not been utilized as a modality for investigating aerobic fitness in children. This study evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of measuring peak VO2 during progressive rowing on a Concept II ergometer in 16 healthy boys aged 9-12 years. All subjects were able to row effectively after minimal modeling and verbal instruction. Mean peak VO2 values on two trials were 42.9 (+/-7.9) and 41.6 (+/-8.7) ml x kg(-1) x min(-1) (p>0.05). No significant differences were observed in mean peak heart rate (190+/-11 vs. 191+/-12 bpm), peak ventilation (58.6+/-11.0 vs. 59.1+/-13.9 L x min(-1)), and RER (1.02+/-.07 vs. 1.02+/-.05) on the two trials. The coefficient of variation of peak VO2 was 5.4%. These data suggest that rowing ergometry is an effective method of measuring aerobic fitness in preadolescent boys.