title: Rowing performance and estimated training load.
abstract: We related the rowing performance and the associated physiological parameters to the training load as estimated by a questionnaire addressing the mean habitual weekly energy expenditure (MHWEE) of twenty-one international and national level oarsmen. The questionnaire also addressed the energy expenditure during training (EET) sessions classified as low- (EE1), moderate- (EE2), and high-intensity (EE3). To evaluate the physiological capability of the oarsmen, they performed incremental exercise to determine their maximal oxygen uptake (V.O(2max)) and the V.O(2) relative to V.O(2max) corresponding to the 4 mmol.l(-1) blood lactate concentration (V.O(2)4 %). The mean work rate sustained during a 2000-m all-out event on a rowing ergometer was considered as the rowing performance. On average, the rowers spent 16.4 +/- 1.0 h.wk(-1) in training with 56 +/- 3 % of the time spent on the water. EET represented 43.5 +/- 1.7 % of MHWEE. Rowing performance and V.O(2max) were both related to MHWEE and EET. Also, rowing performance was related to EE1, EE2, and EE3. In contrast, V.O(2)4 % was not related to the estimated energy expenditures. These results suggest that rowing performance and V.O(2max) are related to training load while V.O(2)4 % was not in the present group of highly trained oarsmen.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Modélisation des Activités Sportives, Département STAPS, Université de Savoie, Le Bourget du Lac Cedex, France.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Messonnier
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Aranda-Berthouze
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bourdin
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bredel
authors.forename: J-R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Lacour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D049628:Body Size / Q000502:physiology; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis