Author(s): YAMAMOTO, N., KASHIWAGI, Y., HIRANO, T., TAKENOYA, F., SHINTAKU, Y., WADA, T., Institution: JAPANESE RED CROSS COLLEGE OF NURSING, Country: JAPAN, Abstract-ID: 1813

INTRODUCTION:
Performance during a 2000-m rowing effort is strongly influenced by pacing strategy and underlying physiological responses. Recent advances in wearable and metabolic measurement technologies allow simultaneous assessment of mechanical performance, cardiovascular strain, metabolic demand, and sweat lactate dynamics during exercise. The purpose of this study was to descriptively examine pacing strategies and associated physiological responses, including sweat lactate concentration, heart rate, and oxygen uptake, during a 2000-m rowing ergometer time trial in male high school rowers.
METHODS:
Three male high school rowers (age: 16 years; height: 172.0 ± 4.6 cm; body mass: 66.7 ± 2.1 kg) performed a maximal 2000-m time trial on a rowing ergometer. Split time, power output, and stroke rate were continuously recorded. Sweat lactate concentration was monitored throughout the trial using a wearable sweat lactate sensor. Heart rate and oxygen uptake (VO₂) were measured continuously using a portable metabolic system. Individual pacing strategies were classified based on temporal changes in power output, and physiological responses were analyzed descriptively.
RESULTS:
Distinct pacing strategies were observed among participants, including parabolic, positive, and relatively even pacing patterns. Heart rate and VO₂ increased rapidly during the initial phase of the trial and remained near peak values during the latter half of the exercise in all participants. Sweat lactate concentration increased progressively throughout the trial, with marked inter-individual differences in both magnitude and timing. Participants who maintained higher power output in the final phase exhibited sustained high VO₂ and heart rate, accompanied by a pronounced late-phase increase in sweat lactate, whereas those showing a decline in power output demonstrated a more attenuated physiological response.
CONCLUSION:
This case series demonstrates substantial inter-individual variability in pacing strategy and corresponding cardiovascular and metabolic responses during a 2000-m rowing ergometer trial in male high school rowers. Simultaneous assessment of pacing, heart rate, oxygen uptake, and sweat lactate may provide valuable insights for individualized performance evaluation and training prescription in youth rowing.

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