Factors of Rowing Ergometer Performance in High-Level Female Rowers.

The present study investigated morphological and physiological factors of rowing ergometer performance over 2000 m (P W) in 70 national and international level [27 lightweight (LW) and 43 heavyweight (HW)] female rowers. Maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O, L.min), maximal aerobic power (Pa, W), power output corresponding to 4 mmol.L blood lactate concentration expressed in absolute (PLa, W) and relative to Pa (PLa%, %) values, peak power output (P, W), and rowing gross efficiency (RGE, %) were determined during an incremental rowing test. In the whole group, P was the best predictor of P (r=0.89, p<0.001), as it was shown in men. PLa (r=0.87), V̇O (r=0.83), body mass (r=0.65), and height (r=0.64) were also significantly correlated with P (p<0.001 for all). P was also the best predictor of P when the two sub-groups LW and HW were considered separately. It was concluded that P is an overall index of physiological rowing capacity in groups of high-level LW and HW female rowers. The predictive value of P is similar to that of PLa, but P presents the advantage of being obtained with a simple ergometer test without biological measurements.