Abstract

The aim of ths study was to predict indoor rowing performance in 12 competitive female rowers (age 21.3 +/- 3.6 years, height 1.68 +/- 0.54 m, body mass 67.1 +/- 11.7 kg; mean +/- s ) using a 30 s rowing sprint, maximal oxygen uptake and the blood lactate response to submaximal rowing. Blood lactate and oxygen uptake (V O 2 ) were measured during a discontinuous graded exercise test on a Concept II rowing ergometer incremented by 25 W for each 2 min stage; the highest VO2 measured during the test was recorded as VO2max (mean = 3.18 +/- 0.35 l/min). Peak power (380 +/- 63.2 W) and mean power (368 +/- 60.0 W) were determined using a modified Wingate test protocol on the Concept II rowing ergometer. Rowing performance was based on the results of the 2000 m indoor rowing championship in 1997 (466.8 +/- 12.3 s). Laboratory testing was performed within 3 weeks of the rowing championship. Submitting mean power (Power), the highest and lowest five consecutive sprint power outputs (Maximal and Minimal), percent fatigue in the sprint test (Fatigue), VO2max (l/min), VO2max ((ml/kg)/min), VO2 at the lactate threshold, power at the lactate threshold (W), maximal lactate concentration, lactate threshold (percent VO2max ) and VE max (l/min) to a stepwise multiple regression analysis produced the following model to predict 2000 m rowing performance: Time 2000 =- 0.163 (Power)14.213 •(VO2max l/min) + 0.738• (Fatigue) + 567.259 (R² = 0.96, standard error = 2.89). These results indicate that, in the women studied, 75.7% of the variation in 2000 m indoor rowing performance time was predicted by peak power in a rowing Wingate test, while VO2max and fatigue during the Wingate test explained an additional 12.1% and 8.2% of the variance, respectively. Verf.-Referat