Warm-up intensity and duration's effect on traditional rowing time-trial performance.
The warm-up procedure in traditional rowing usually involves continuous low-intensity rowing and short bouts of intense exercise, lasting about 60 min.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the effects of a traditional and an experimental 30-min warm-up of lower intensity on indoor rowing time-trial performance.


METHODS
Fourteen highly trained male rowers (age 25.9 ± 5.3 y, height 1.86 ± 0.06 m, mass 80.4 ± 5.2 kg, peak aerobic power 352.0 ± 24.4 W; mean ± SD) performed 2 indoor rowing trials 12 d apart. Rowers were randomly assigned to either LONG or SHORT warm-ups using a crossover design, each followed by a 10-min all-out fixed-seat rowing-ergometer time trial.


RESULTS
Mean power output during the time trial was substantially higher after SHORT (322 ± 18 vs 316 ± 17 W), with rowers generating substantially more power in the initial 7.5 min of the time trial after SHORT. LONG elicited substantially higher mean warm-up heart rate than SHORT (134 ± 11 vs 121 ± 13 beats/min), higher pre-time-trial rating of perceived exertion (10.2 ± 1.4 vs 7.6 ± 1.7) and blood lactate (1.7 ± 0.4 mM vs 1.2 ± 0.2 mM), but similar heart rate (100 ± 14 vs 102 ± 9 beats/min). No substantial differences were observed between LONG and SHORT in stroke rate (39.4 ± 2.0 vs 39.4 ± 2.2 strokes/min) or mean heart rate (171 ± 6 vs 171 ± 8 beats/min) during the time trial, nor in blood lactate after it (11.8 ± 2.5 vs 12.1 ± 2.0 mM).


CONCLUSIONS
A warm-up characterized by lower intensity and shorter duration should elicit less physiological strain and promote substantially higher power production in the initial stages of a rowing time trial.
Dept of Physiology, University of the Basque Country, Leioa, Spain.
Iñigo
I
Mujika
Rafa González
RG
de Txabarri
Sara
S
Maldonado-Martín
David B
DB
Pyne
D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005080:Exercise Test; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D009119:Muscle Contraction; D053580:Muscle Strength; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D010465:Perception; D013647:Task Performance and Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D019344:Lactic Acid