Sedentary Behavior among National Elite Rowers during Off-Training-A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Exercise Physiology
• Rowing Performance

Background:

• Elite athletes require optimized training and recovery.
• Understanding non-training physical activity (PA) is crucial for athlete well-being.
• Sedentary behavior can negatively impact athletic performance and health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the off-training physical activity (PA) profile of German U23 elite rowers.
• To quantify sedentary, light, moderate, and vigorous PA during their preparation period.
• To identify potential differences in PA between weekdays and weekend days.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving 11 national elite German U23 rowers.
• Wrist-worn multisensory devices (Microsoft Band II) assessed PA over 31 days.
• Data analyzed for sedentary (<1.5 METs), light (1.5-3 METs), moderate (3-6 METs), and vigorous (>6 METs) activity levels.

Main Results:

• Rowers averaged over 11.5 hours of sedentary time daily.
• Sedentary time was slightly higher on weekend days (12.49 h) compared to weekdays (11.63 h).
• Light physical activity was significantly higher on weekdays (1.27 h) than weekend days (0.67 h).

Conclusions:

• National elite rowers demonstrate substantial off-training sedentary behavior.
• This sedentary profile may warrant attention for optimizing athlete preparation and recovery.
• Further research is needed to explore the implications of this behavior on rowing performance.