The Individual Rowing Performance In An Eight- Comparison Of Different Race Phases And Performane Levels

Introduction
The biomechanical conditions for the production of a rowing performance differ in an eight (big boat) in comparison to
a pair (small boat) due to the higher boat velocity and so the resultant higher handle velocities while the blades are in
the water. Regatta results or biomechanical testing of small boats give consequently only limited information about an
individual’s performance ability in regards to an eight. Similarly, it is also not possible to make any conclusions from
the regatta results of an eight, in regards to the input of one individual rower upon the boat performance. A 2000m race
can be divided into five distinct main sub-phases, each with changing demands on the boat velocity and stroke rates [1].
The individual rower possibly controls these sub-phases differently.

Methods
Four Junior Mens Eights (n=32) and a Senior Mens Eight (n=8) were examined over 2000m races. Included were the
gold (1995) and silver (1994) medal winners of the junior world championships in the Junior Mens Eight (n=16, JWC),
16 non-competitors of these particular years (n=16, n.JWC), and the Silver medal winners of the Senior German Eight
from 1998. The racing boats were set up with the mobile testing system, which measured continuously over all rowing
strokes, the rower-specific parameters ‘oar angle’, the pulling ‘force on the handle’, the ‘footstretcher force’ as well as
the boat-specific parameters ‘boat acceleration’ and ‘boat velocity’. The test of the Senior German Mens Eight took
place during an official international rowing regatta in Ratzeburg in 1998. The races were divided into five sub-phases
in relation to the relative boat velocity and stroke rate: the acceleration at the start (the first 8 rowing strokes), the
maximum boat velocity (the next 15±1.6 rowing strokes), the transition phase (the next 29±1.8 rowing strokes), the
mid-race phase (the next 140±5.1 rowing strokes) the finish (the next 22±4.3 rowing strokes).

Results
Apart from the rowing power (figure 1), better results of the rowing performance were also shown in the significant
differences of the handle forces (senior=429±32; JWC=421±14; n.JWC=401±27 N), the handle velocity
(senior=2.24±0.04; JWC=2.07±0.04; n.JWC=2.06±0.05 m/s) during the drive phase, the stroke length (senior=87±3.5;
JWC=84±2.4; n.JWC=84±2.4 deg) and other parameters in relation to the entire race as well as the separate race phases.
Although external conditions (e.g. stroke rate, rowing rhythm, boat run etc.) were similar for crew members, internal
differences in the absolute and relative rowing power, the handle forces and the stroke length throughout the five race
phases were visible.

Discussion / Conclusions
Internationally successful rowing demands not only a high level of rowing performance but also a wide
performance spectrum to ensure the different boat velocities in the five sub-phases over a 2000m race.
1. The values of the seniors and the JWM-competitors are used as an orientation for the planning of the training
load (e.g. resistance training, stroke rate variance training etc.).
2. The examined biomechanical parameters are suitable for the selection of crews.

References
[1]. Mattes, K. (2001): Researches on the Variability and Stability of Rowing Power and Rowing Technique in the
Principle Phases of Rowing Races. Shaker Verlag Aachen

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