[Measurement of VO2 max with 2 rowing ergometers on the water in a skiff]

Rowing ergometers are designed to increase testing specificity but have never been validated against measurements obtained while rowing in the water. VO2max of 14 regional and national rowers (7 men and 7 women) from 17 to 30 years of age randomly obtained on two commonly used rowing ergometers, the Concept II (initial load at 40 km/h + 8 km/h increment every 2 min) and the Gjessing Ergorow (initial load at 1 kg + 0.25 kg increment at 28 strokes/min up to 1.5 or 3.0 kg according to sex and 2 sdtrokes/min thereafter), were compared to those obtained while rowing on the water (best VO2 values of three 4-min trials at maximal speed). VO2max values were similar (p greater than 0.05) for the three ergometers (M +/- s: 4.02 +/- 0.90 for the Concept II; 4.15 +/- 0.95 for the Gjessing Ergorow, and 4.04 +/- 0.83 L/min for the skiff). Pearson correlations and standard errors of estimate expressed in %Y were 0.92 and 9.0% (Concept II vs. Gjessing), 0.93 and 7.9% (Gjessing vs. skiff), and 0.96 and 6.1% (Concept II vs skiff). VO2max determination on these two rowing ergometers appears specific and comparable to the one obtained on the water and is also much easier to obtain.