Effects of Boat Class and Size on Intracycle Velocity Variation During 2000 m Competitive Rowing: A GPS- and...

Rowing performance depends on boat velocity and technical efficiency, varying across boat classes. We quantified intracycle velocity variation (IVV) during 2000 m competitions using a GPS- and accelerometry-based monitoring and examined its relationship with biomechanical variables. Forty-nine races were recorded during three national regattas, involving 206 experienced rowers (72 females). Boats were classified by discipline (sweep vs. sculling) and length (short vs. long). Boat velocity and position were recorded using GPS (15 Hz) and accelerometry (100 Hz). Sculling boats demonstrated higher average velocity and lower IVV than sweep boats (p ≤ 0.05), possibly due to reduced lateral asymmetries. Long boats (quadruple scull, four and eight) reached significantly higher maximum, average, and minimum velocities than short boats (single scull, double scull, and pair) (all p ≤ 0.05), as well as greater technical index and distance per cycle. Correlation analysis identified large associations (r ≥ 0.5): in long boats, maximum and minimum velocity (r = 0.79) and cycle rate with distance per cycle (r = -0.50), whereas in short boats, average velocity was associated with minimum velocity (r = 0.76), technical index (r = 0.84) and distance per cycle (r = 0.64). In conclusion, IVV appears to be influenced by boat class and crew characteristics, representing a relevant sensor-derived indicator for monitoring technical efficiency in competitive rowing.