Beyond Peak, a Simple Approach to Assess Rowing Power and the Impact of Training: A Technical Report

Recently, rowing power has been shown to be a key determinant of rowing performance. However, rowing power testing can vary greatly, and is not standardized. Here we sought to evaluate rowing power over a 15 sec rowing test utilizing a stroke-by-stroke analysis before and after 4 weeks of training in youth rowers. METHODS: 18 adolescent male rowers were assigned to complete either 4 weeks of plyometric training (PLYO, n=9), or steady state cycling (Control, n=9), for 30 minutes before on water training three days/week. Each group was matched for training volume. Peak power (PP) was assessed via a 15 sec maximal rowing ergometer test. Using the Ergdata mobile app, PP, peak force (PF), average force (AF), drive speed (DS), and stroke at which PP was achieved (PPstroke) were measured and recorded for later offline analysis. RESULTS: Before training PP, PF, AF and DS did not differ between groups. After training, PP trended towards a significant difference between groups PLYO and CON (569±75 v. 629±51 Watts, control v. PLYO, p=0.08). Stroke-by-stroke analysis indicated more power was produced over the test following training (p<0.05), but no group differences existed. There was also a trend towards PLYO achieving PP earlier in the test (7.7±0.9 to 6.9±0.9 strokes, p=0.08). Finally, DS during the test was significantly increased for PLYO after training (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: This novel method of evaluating rowing power was able to detect changes in rowing power indices, providing coaches with a cost effective method of evaluating responses to rowing training.