The purpose of this study was to examine the performance factors between elite (ER) and amateurs (AR) traditional rowers and the relations between the measured variables to determine the best predictors of traditional rowing performance. Average power during the 20 minutes´ all-out test (W20min), average power output which elicited a blood lactate concentration of 4mmol•l-1(W4mmol•l-1), power output in 10 maximal strokes (W10strokes), maximal strength and muscle power output during a bench pull (BP) and anthropometric values were measured in 46 trained male rowers aged 21 to 30 with 8-15 years of rowing training experience. ER group showed higher body mass (5%, p <0.05), free fatty mass (5%, p <0.05), age (21%, p<0.001), training experience (43%, p<0.001), and lower time in 2000m test (4%, p <0.05) than AR group. Average power output and power output index were higher in ER group (from 6% to 13%; p<0.05-0.01) than in AR. ER group exhibited higher power output values in W10strokes (9%, p<0.01), and in average power during W20min (15.4%, p<0.01) compared with AR group. During W4mmol•l-1 the mean stroke power output was 17.8% higher (p<0.01) in the ER than in the AR group. Significant relationships were observed between W4mmol•l-1 and W20min (r = 0.65 and 0.80; p<0.01 in ER and AR, respectively). ER groups was characterized by having higher body mass, having a greater percentage of free fatty mass and obtain significantly better results in the rowing performance test than AR. The indices of rowing performance suggested that W20min, W4mmol•l-1, W10 stokes and 1RMBP were the most important predictors of traditional rowing performance in elite and amateur rowers.
© Copyright 2009 14th annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science, Oslo/Norway, June 24-27, 2009, Book of Abstracts. Published by The Norwegian School of Sport Sciences. All rights reserved.