Abstract
This study investigated the energy system contributions of rowers in three different conditions: rowing on an ergometer without and with the slide and rowing in the water. For this purpose, eight rowers were submitted to 2,000 m race simulations in each of the situations defined above. The fractions of the aerobic (W AER), anaerobic alactic (W PCR) and anaerobic lactic (W [La−]) systems were calculated based on the oxygen uptake, the fast component of excess post-exercise oxygen uptake and changes in net blood lactate, respectively. In the water, the metabolic work was significantly higher [(851 (82) kJ] than during both ergometer [674 (60) kJ] and ergometer with slide [663 (65) kJ] (P ≤ 0.05). The time in the water [515 (11) s] was higher (P < 0.001) than in the ergometers with [398 (10) s] and without the slide [402 (15) s], resulting in no difference when relative energy expenditure was considered: in the water [99 (9) kJ min−1], ergometer without the slide [99.6 (9) kJ min−1] and ergometer with the slide [100.2 (9.6) kJ min−1]. The respective contributions of the W AER, W PCR and W [La−] systems were water = 87 (2), 7 (2) and 6 (2)%, ergometer = 84 (2), 7 (2) and 9 (2)%, and ergometer with the slide = 84 (2), 7 (2) and 9 (1)%. \( \dot{V}{\text{O}}_{ 2} \), HR and lactate were not different among conditions. These results seem to indicate that the ergometer braking system simulates conditions of a bigger and faster boat and not a single scull. Probably, a 2,500 m test should be used to properly simulate in the water single-scull race.
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We would like to thank all athletes and their coaches for their committed participation. This study was supported by a grant from CNPq (470572/2007-8)
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de Campos Mello, F., de Moraes Bertuzzi, R.C., Grangeiro, P.M. et al. Energy systems contributions in 2,000 m race simulation: a comparison among rowing ergometers and water. Eur J Appl Physiol 107, 615–619 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1172-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1172-9