Strapping rowers to their sliding seat improves performance during the start of ergometer rowing

Rowers sit on a seat that slides relative to the boat/ergometer. If a rower lifts him or herself from this sliding seat at any time, the seat will move away from under them and the rowing action is disrupted. From a mechanical perspective, it is clear that the need for the rower to remain in contact with the sliding seat at all times imposes position-dependent constraints on the forces exerted at the oar handle and the footstretcher. Here we investigate if the mechanical power output during rowing, which is strongly related to these forces, might be improved if the contact with the sliding seat was of no concern to the rower. In particular, we examine if elimination of these constraints by strapping the rower to the sliding seat leads to an increase in performance during the start on a standard rowing ergometer. Eleven well-trained female rowers performed 5-stroke starts in normal and strapped conditions. Handle force, vertical seat force, footstretcher force, and handle kinematics were recorded, from which mechanical power and work output were calculated. Most of the relevant mechanical variables differed significantly between the normal and strapped conditions. Most importantly, mechanical power output (averaged over the 5-stroke start) in the strapped condition was 12% higher than in the normal condition. We conclude that strapping a rower's pelvis to the sliding seat allows more vigorous execution of the stroke phases, resulting in a substantial improvement in performance during the start of ergometer rowing.