Reliable Peak Power Assessment During Concentric and Flexion-Extension-Cycle Based Rowing Strokes using a...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Ergometry

Background:

• Accurate peak rowing power assessment is vital for rowing performance.
• Reliability of rowing ergometers for power testing needs validation.
• Understanding different rowing stroke types is key for performance analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the within and between day reliability of a non-modified rowing ergometer.
• To compare peak power output between isolated concentric rowing strokes (DRIVE) and flexion-extension cycle (FEC-type) rowing strokes (SLIDE-DRIVE).

Main Methods:

• 52 trained male rowers performed isolated concentric rowing strokes (DRIVE) and SLIDE-DRIVE strokes on two separate days.
• Reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), standard error of measurement (SEM), and coefficient of variation (CV).
• Peak power outputs for both stroke types were statistically compared.

Main Results:

• High reliability (0.94 ≤ ICC ≤ 1.00) was found for both DRIVE and SLIDE-DRIVE, with low SEM (≤ 2.7%) and CV (≤ 4.9%).
• SLIDE-DRIVE (423 ± 157 W) demonstrated significantly higher peak power output compared to DRIVE (370 ± 154 W) (p ≤ 0.001).
• Suitable levels of agreement (≤ 30W) were observed for both methods.

Conclusions:

• The non-modified rowing ergometer is a reliable tool for assessing peak power in both isolated concentric and FEC-type rowing strokes.
• Higher power outputs in FEC-type rowing (SLIDE-DRIVE) may indicate the involvement of a stretch-shortening cycle.
• This ergometer provides a dependable method for rowing-specific performance testing.