Reliability and discriminative ability of a modified Wingate rowing test in 12- to 18-year-old rowers.
We evaluated (1) the test-retest reliability of the Wingate test conducted on a rowing ergometer, and (2) the sensitivity of this test in determining the differences in performance attained by 12- to 18-year-old rowers. Altogether, 297 male rowers aged 12.0-18.9 years (mean ± s: 14.8 ± 1.7) completed a maximal 30-s test on a rowing ergometer, and 80 rowers representing all age groups were retested after 5-7 days. No change was evident in participants' performance in terms of mean power output (P = 0.726; Cohen's d = 0.04), maximal power output (P = 0.567; Cohen's d = 0.06), and minimum power output (P = 0.318; Cohen's d = 0.11) in the second test. The intra-class correlation coefficients were high (≥0.973) and coefficients of variation were low (≤7.3%). A series of analyses of variance were used to compare the performances among 12- to 18-year-old rowers, and age-related increases in performance were evident (P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 1.91-1.96). The age-related increases in performance were similar, although reduced, when the effects of body mass were partitioned out when using analysis of covariance (P < 0.001; Cohen's d = 0.82-0.85). The results suggest that: (1) the described test is reliable and can be used for maximal-intensity exercise assessment in youth rowing, and (2) it discriminates performance among 12- to-18-year-old rowers.
Mikulic
Pavle
P
Department of Sport, School of Kinesiology, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia. pavle.mikulic@kif.hr
Emersic
Davor
D
Markovic
Goran
G
D000293:Adolescent; D015308:Anaerobic Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D016552:Ergometry; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*