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Is stroke smoothness a reliable indicator of fatigue in ergometer rowing?

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Abstract

A measure of stroke smoothness (SS) has been presented previously to indicate the degree to which rowers produce an “ideal” handle force profile that of the positive half of a sine wave [2]. This study aimed to determine the influence of fatigue on SS. Ten male rowers completed a maximal intensity trial. Fast Fourier transform methods were used to calculate SS which was given by the amplitude of the fundamental frequency as a percentage of the sum of the first ten peaks. Visual inspection of the data showed indications of a reduction in movement coordination as a function of fatigue. However, SS did not change significantly between the first, middle and last ten strokes (p = 0.205), despite a 21% reduction in mean power between the start and end of the trial. The results suggested that although the shape of the force profile can qualitatively indicate a reduction in movement coordination, the smoothness of the force profiles remains similar with fatigue.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomechanics Research Unit, School of Psychology and Sport Sciences, Northumbria University, Northumberland Building, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 8ST, UK

    Nicholas Caplan

  2. School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2TT, UK

    Trevor N. Gardner

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  1. Nicholas Caplan
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  2. Trevor N. Gardner
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Correspondence to Nicholas Caplan.

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Caplan, N., Gardner, T.N. Is stroke smoothness a reliable indicator of fatigue in ergometer rowing?. Sports Eng 11, 207–209 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-009-0024-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12283-009-0024-5

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