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Age- and gender-associated variation in maximal-intensity exercise performance in adolescent rowers
1School of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Department for Kinesiology of Sport, Zagreb, Croatia. pavle.mikulic@kif.hr
International Journal of Sports Medicine
|March 8, 2011
Summary
Female rowers show performance improvements up to age 15, with a plateau afterward. Significant gender differences in rowing performance emerge by age 13, favoring males, even after accounting for body mass.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Exercise Physiology
- Rowing Performance Analysis
Background:
- Understanding age-related changes in maximal exercise capacity is crucial for talent identification and training periodization in young athletes.
- Limited data exists on the specific maximal-intensity exercise performance characteristics of adolescent female rowers and direct comparisons with their male counterparts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize 30-second maximal-intensity exercise performance in adolescent female rowers (ages 12-18) using the Wingate rowing test.
- To compare performance indicators, specifically mean and maximal power output, between female rowers and a cohort of male rowers of similar age.
Main Methods:
- 193 female rowers (12-18 years) underwent a 30-second maximal effort test on a rowing ergometer.
- Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni post-hoc tests compared performance across age groups.
- Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was employed to assess the influence of body mass on performance and gender differences.
Main Results:
- Performance increased with age up to 15 years, followed by a plateau in female rowers.
- Age-related performance gains were halved when body mass effects were statistically controlled.
- Significant gender differences favoring males appeared from age 13 (+19-22%) and widened to 50-60% by ages 16-18, persisting even after body mass normalization.
Conclusions:
- Adolescent female rowing performance plateaus post-puberty, with body mass significantly influencing absolute power output.
- Substantial and persistent gender disparities in maximal rowing power exist from early adolescence, highlighting biological and/or training influences.
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