Last year, the first pilot study on the vertical oar forces was done with the BioRowTel system and now the authors discuss the results. They conclude: Vertical forces at the handle are quite small and even smaller at the blade (about 10N ~ 1kgF), so they do not really contribute to vertical movements of the rower-boat system. A significant part of the handle force is directed vertically: from 7%at pitch 4o up to 14%at 8o. Variable (lateral) pitch could be recommended to minimize vertical forces and make the blade path in the water more horizontal.
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