Physical Preparation of a World-Class Lightweight Men's Double Sculls Team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics

To analyze the physical profile and training program of a world-class lightweight double sculls rowing crew toward the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

A case study in which both rowers performed physical testing in November 2020 and April 2021 (anthropometrics, incremental rowing test, and power profiling). The training program (38 wk) in the buildup to the Olympics was analyzed, providing insight into training characteristics (volume; contribution of rowing, alternative, and strength training; prescribed and recorded [heart rate] training-intensity distribution). The entire period was split into 3 phases: preparation period (8 wk), competition period 1 (11 wk), and competition period 2 (9 wk), and training characteristics were compared.

In the April 2021 testing, rower A (1.89 m, 74.6 kg, 4.4% body fat) had a peak oxygen uptake of 5.8 L·min-1 (77.8 mL·min-1·kg-1) and a peak power output of 491 W. Rower B (1.82 m, 70.6 kg, 7.8% body fat) had a peak oxygen uptake of 5.5 L·min-1 (77.9 mL·min-1·kg-1) and a peak power output of 482 W. The mean weekly training volume was 14 hours 47 minutes (4 h 5 min), of which 58.5% (14.6%) consisted of rowing, 13.4% (6.8%) strength training, and 28.1% (2.6%) alternative training. Heart-rate training-intensity distribution was 77.8% (4.2%) in zone 1, 16.6% (3.7%) in zone 2, and 5.6% (2.8%) in zone 3 with a lower contribution of zone 1 in competition period 1 (P = .029) and competition period 2 (P = .023) compared with the preparation period, and a higher contribution of zone 3 in competition period 1 (P = .018) and competition period 2 (P = .011) compared with the preparation period.

The crew combined a high volume of rowing, alternative, and strength training in a pyramidal heart-rate training-intensity distribution throughout the year.