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Physiological responses to kayaking with a swivel seat
J S Michael1, R Smith, K Rooney
1University of Sydney, Exercise Health and Performance Research Group, Lidcombe, Australia. jmic3063@uni.sydney.edu.au
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|May 11, 2010
Summary
Elite kayakers achieved significantly higher power output using a novel swivel seat compared to a traditional fixed seat. This finding suggests a potential performance advantage in flat-water kayaking competitions.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Biomechanics
- Exercise Physiology
Background:
- Flat-water kayaking performance is influenced by equipment ergonomics.
- Optimizing kayak seat design can potentially enhance athlete power output and efficiency.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the physiological responses to flat-water kayaking using a traditional fixed seat versus a novel swivel seat on an ergometer simulator.
- To determine if a swivel seat offers a performance advantage over a fixed seat.
Main Methods:
- Ten elite kayakers performed a maximal ergometer paddling test on a kayak simulator under two randomized seat conditions (fixed vs. swivel).
- Physiological measures included expired air analysis, heart rate (HR), power output (PO), and blood lactate (La).
- Gross efficiency (GE) was calculated, and repeated measures ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.
Main Results:
- Paddling with the swivel seat resulted in a significantly greater mean power output (PO) over a two-minute duration compared to the fixed seat (299.1 ± 24.9W vs. 279.8 ± 19.2W, p<0.05), a 6.5% increase.
- A similar, non-significant 6.9% difference in gross efficiency (GE) was observed.
- No significant differences were found in metabolic load or other measured physiological variables.
Conclusions:
- The novel swivel seat significantly enhances power output in elite flat-water kayakers compared to a traditional fixed seat.
- This increase in power output suggests a potential competitive advantage in on-water racing.
- Further research is warranted to confirm the transferability of these ergometer findings to actual kayaking performance.
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