Associations of 2000 m Rowing Ergometer Performance With Load-Velocity Relationship Variables Obtained During...

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Strength and Conditioning

Background:

• The load-velocity relationship is crucial for optimizing athletic performance.
• Understanding how specific strength exercises relate to rowing performance is key for training.
• Bilateral and unilateral exercises may differentially impact force production.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between load-velocity profile variables from bilateral and unilateral prone bench pull (PBP) and leg press (LP) exercises and 2000m rowing ergometer performance.
• To determine if interlimb asymmetries in these exercises correlate with rowing performance.

Main Methods:

• Twenty-one rowers completed a 2000m rowing ergometer test.
• Load-velocity profiles (load-axis intercept, velocity-axis intercept, area under the curve) were assessed during bilateral and unilateral PBP and LP.
• Spearman's rank correlation coefficients were used to analyze associations.

Main Results:

• Strong negative correlations were observed between most load-velocity profile variables from PBP and LP and rowing performance (total time).
• Bilateral exercises demonstrated higher velocities compared to unilateral variants.
• Interlimb asymmetries generally did not correlate with rowing performance, except for LP area under the curve.

Conclusions:

• Load-velocity profiles are exercise-specific and highly sensitive to rowing performance.
• Bilateral PBP and LP exercises provide valuable insights into rowing performance.
• Bilateral strength training is recommended for rowers due to its closer reflection of rowing's bilateral force production.