Author(s): WINKERT, K., ALIMORADINASRABADI, B., TREFF, G., STEINACKER, J.M., Institution: UNIVERSITY OF ULM, Country: GERMANY, Abstract-ID: 2470

INTRODUCTION:
Elite rowers spent about 11 hours/week with specific endurance training in the boat, with low-intensity ‎training being the main component. As external intensity metrics like boat velocity are highly dependent ‎on environmental conditions and power meters are missing, athletes and coaches rely mainly on ‎internal metrics like heart rate (HR) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE). While in the context of ‎optimal training stimulus management adequate pacing during daily training is needed, athletes tend ‎to over pace during LIT. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate differences in cardiopulmonary (CP) and ‎metabolic (MB) load of guided vs. unguided rowing at three LIT zones in elite rowers.‎
METHODS:
Fifteen elite male and female rowers (age 23 ±3/23 ±2 years, body mass 82.6 ±6.5/74.6 ±8.4 kg, ‎maximal oxygen consumption (⩒O2max) 75.3 ±4.0/63.5 ±2.5 ml/min/kg) completed one laboratory test ‎and four on-water session. Laboratory tests included an ergometer ramp test to determine ⩒O2max ‎and HRmax. On-water sessions in the single scull consisted of two unguided and two guided trials of six ‎‎15-minute stages, separated by 24 hours. During the unguided trials, the rowers were instructed to row ‎two self-paced consecutive stages each, in a compensation zone (zone1), a lower (zone 2.1), and an ‎upper (zone2.2) basic endurance zone, according to their usual RPE. The guided sessions were based on ‎specific rates of HRmax, being 60-72% zone 1, 72-79% zone 2.1, and 79-82% zone 2.2. CP and MB load ‎were determined continuously using a portable metabolic analyzer in dynamic mixing chamber mode. ‎Blood lactate concentration (BL) and RPE were determined after each stage. Mean values with 95% ‎confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated based on the ⩒O2 steady-state phase of each stage. ‎Inter-mode differences were calculated based on a linear mixed model approach.‎
RESULTS:
Differences in CP and MB load for guided vs. unguided rowing in zone 1/zone 2.1/zone2.2 amounting to ‎‎%HRmax −3.2% 95%CI [−4.5; −1.8]/−2.9% 95%CI [−4.0; −1.8]/−3.2% 95%CI [−4.1; −2.3]; %VO2max ‎‎−3.5% 95%CI[−5.1; −1.9]/−1,9% 95%CI [−3.2; −0.6]/−1.9% 95%CI [−3.1; −0.8]; BL −0.1 mmol/l 95%CI [−0.1; ‎‎0.0]/−0.2 mmol/l 95%CI [−0.3; −0.1]/−0,5 mmol/l 95%CI [−0.6; −0.3] and RPE −0.1 95%CI [−0.3; ‎‎0.1]/−0.1 95%CI [−0.4; 0.1]/−0.3 95%CI [−0.6, −0.0], respectively. Besides BL in zone 1 and RPE in zone ‎‎1, 2.1 there were significant differences for all metrics in all zones between guided vs. unguided trials.
CONCLUSION:
While RPE ratings between guided and unguided on-water training in the single scull were similar, CP ‎and MB loads were significantly higher during unguided trials. Therefore, even elite rowers tend to ‎underestimate the intensity of their self-paced rowing training compared to CP and MB load. This might ‎lead to a mismanagement in total training load and risk of maladaptations. Consequently, external ‎guidance like HR in combination with RPE should be used for precise intensity management during on-water rowing.