Interpersonal Coordination and Individual Organization Combined with Shared Phenomenological Experience in Rowing...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Human Movement

Background:

• Interpersonal coordination and individual organization are crucial for team performance.
• Understanding the subjective experience (phenomenology) of athletes during competition is vital.
• Previous research has primarily focused on objective performance metrics, neglecting the athlete's perspective.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of variability in interpersonal coordination and individual organization on rowing performance.
• To analyze crew phenomenology to understand rowers' experiences of joint actions under race constraints.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive and exploratory study of two coxless pair crews during a 3000-m race.
• Kinematic and kinetic analysis of individual organization.
• Relative phase and force impulse analysis for interpersonal coordination.
• Inter-cycle variability assessment using root mean square and Cauchy index.
• Crew phenomenology characterized through self-confrontation interviews and course-of-action methodology.

Main Results:

• Greater behavioral variability can be either "perturbing" or "functional" depending on its effect on boat velocity.
• Rowers perceived this variability as sometimes meaningful and sometimes meaningless.
• Rowers' experiences of variability were sometimes similar and sometimes diverging.

Conclusions:

• Combining phenomenological and behavioral data provides a richer understanding of crew dynamics.
• Ecological constraints in racing can lead to functional adaptations or perturbations in interpersonal coordination.
• Athlete experience is a key factor in navigating performance challenges during competition.