Cardiorespiratory Coordination in Collegiate Rowing: A Network Approach to Cardiorespiratory Exercise Testing

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Sports Science
• Cardiorespiratory Function

Background:

• Collegiate rowing performance assessment typically relies on cardiopulmonary exercise tests (CPET).
• Rowing demands complex, non-linear cardiorespiratory system interactions.
• Cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC) quantifies the co-variation among cardiorespiratory variables.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate and compare the cardiorespiratory coordination (CRC) between novice and intermediate collegiate rowers.
• To determine if CRC can serve as an alternative metric for assessing aerobic fitness in rowers.

Main Methods:

• A female NCAA Division II rowing team (N=18) was divided into novice (n=9) and intermediate (n=9) groups based on 6000m time trial performance.
• Participants underwent a customized CPET to exhaustion, with various cardiorespiratory variables recorded.
• Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was employed to compute CRC metrics for each group.

Main Results:

• Intermediate rowers (77%) and novice rowers (33%) initially showed one principal component (PC1).
• Novice rowers exhibited an additional PC2, indicating a less coordinated shift in variables like oxygen saturation or heart rate/ventilation.
• Intermediate rowers demonstrated a higher degree of CRC, potentially linked to enhanced bicarbonate buffering capacity during CPET.

Conclusions:

• Intermediate collegiate rowers display significantly greater cardiorespiratory coordination than novice rowers during CPET.
• CRC, as measured by PCA, provides a novel perspective on the intricate cardiorespiratory dynamics during exercise.
• Cardiorespiratory coordination may offer a valuable alternative or supplementary method for assessing aerobic fitness in rowers.