Author(s): KLITGAARD, K., DE ZEE, M., KRISTIANSEN, M. , Institution: AALBORG UNIVERSITY, Country: DENMARK, Abstract-ID: 1773

INTRODUCTION:
Kayaking, as a dynamic sport, demands a blend of strength, power, and endurance [1]. A range of physiological and biomechanical factors, such as body composition, muscle strength, stroke rate, stroke force, and paddling technique, shape sprint performance in kayaking [2]. However, past research has often isolated individual aspects of kayak sprint performance, overlooking the intricate interplay among these variables. Furthermore, past research has been centered around short distances (≤200m) and 1000m. With more disciplines in the Olympic program being centered around the 500m event/distance, a greater understanding of the strength demands of 500m performance is needed. This study investigates the relationship between body composition, strength, and performance in kayaking over a 500m distance.
METHODS:
30 trained female (6) and male (24) kayakers were recruited with a mean age of 20.69 ± 5.27 years, body mass of 80.14 kg ± 9.62, and height of 1.79 ± 0.07 m. They performed a 500 m on-water kayak test with a standing start. During this test, the following variables were recorded: paddle force (E-kayak, AP-Lab), footrest force, and kayak velocity. On a different day, 1RM tests were carried out in the bench press, bench pull, pull up, and a specific kayak strength measured on a custom-made single-arm machine (3). Body composition was measured on a DEXA scanner (GE Lunar iDXA). A partial least squares regression analysis model was used to assess the relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable (on-water kayak test).
RESULTS:
The regression model revealed notable relationships between 1RM strength variables(Bench-pull, Bench-press and Pull-ups), total lean mass, torso, and arm lean mass, along with paddle forces, as evidenced by their high VIP (Variable Importance in Projection) values ranging from 1.162 to 1.307. Furthermore, the same variables showed a solid relationship to 500m performance when looking at loadings, with values ranging from 0.252 to 0.285.
CONCLUSION:
The high VIP value and loading values suggest that these variables are important predictors of the outcome. 1RM strength variables(Bench-pull, Bench-press, and Pull-ups), total lean mass, torso and arm lean mass, and paddle forces are the best predictors of 500m on-water kayak performance. A wider array of factors appears to affect the 500m sprint than the 200m sprint, where 1RM strength emerges as the most significant predictor of performance.

[1]Michael JS, Rooney KB, Smith R. The metabolic demands of kayaking: a review 2008;7:1–7.
[2]Michael JS, Smith R, Rooney KB. Determinants of kayak paddling performance 2009;8:167–79.
[3] Klitgaard, K. K., Adler, A. T., & de Zee, M. (2021, November). A Modified Single Arm Machine-A Brief Report. In 13th Annual Meeting of the Danish Society of Biomechanics.