Respiratory responses of elite oarsmen, former oarsmen, and highly trained non-rowers during rowing, cycling and running

Abstract

The position of the body and use of the respiratory muscles in the act of rowing may limit ventilation and thereby reduce maximal aerobic power relative to that achieved in cycling or running, in spite of the greater muscle mass involved in rowing. This hypothesis was investigated for three groups of male subjects: nine elite senior oarsmen, eight former senior oarsmen and eight highly trained athletes unskilled in rowing. The subjects performed graded exercise to maximal effort on a rowing ergometer, cycle ergometer and treadmill while respiratory minute volume$\left( {\dot V_E } \right)$ and oxygen consumption$\left( {\dot VO_2 } \right)$ were monitored continuously. The VE at a given$\dot V_E$ during intense submaximal exercise (greater than 75% of maximal$\dot VO_2$) was not significantly lower in rowing compared with that in cycling and treadmill running for any group, which would suggest that submaximal rowing does not restrict ventilation. At maximal effort,$\dot VO_2$ and$\dot V_E$ for rowing were less than those for the other types of exercise in all the groups, although the differences were not statistically significant in the elite oarsmen. These data are consistent with a ventilatory limitation to maximal performance in rowing that may have been partly overcome by training in the elite oarsmen. Alternatively, a lower maximal VE in rowing might have been an effect rather than a cause of a lower maximal$\dot VO_2$ if maximal$\dot VO_{2max}$ was limited by the lower rate of muscle activation in rowing.