Comparison of Exercise Performance on Rowing and Cycle Ergometers

Only limited information is available evaluating exercise performance on the rowing ergometer with other standard methods of testing. To further investigate physiologic capacity and cardiorespiratory responses during rowing, we compared results from progressive, incremental exercise to exhaustion on the variable-resistance rowing ergometer and on the cycle ergometer in 17 untrained female subjects and 12 collegiate women rowers. Maximal oxygen consumption ([Vdot]RO2max) was significantly greater on the cycle ergometer (M3.4 ± 0.3 1 [mdot] min-1) compared to the rowing ergometer (M3.2 ± 0.2 1 [mdot] min-1) for the rowers (p = .01), but there was no difference for this variable between the two types of exercise in the untrained group. Maximal oxygen-pulse (O2-pulsemax) was significantly greater during exercise on the cycle ergometer in the oarswomen (p = .03). Oxygen consumption ([Vdot]RO2) at the ventilatory threshold (VT) was identical for cycling (1.4 ± 0.2 1 [mdot] min-1) and rowing (1.4 ± 0.2 1 [mdot] min-1) in the untrained subjects, but [Vdot]RO2 at the VT was significantly higher on the rowing ergometer (2.5 ± 0.2 1 [mdot] min-1 vs. 2.3 ± 0.3 1 [mdot] min-1; p = .01) in the collegiate athletes. Our results provide comparative exercise responses on the rowing and cycle ergometers in untrained female subjects and collegiate oarswomen. Based on differences in [Vdot]RO2max and O2-pulsemax between rowing and cycling in the collegiate athletes, the cardiovascular system could limit exercise performance during rowing. The higher physiologic variables at the VT during rowing suggest that the oarswomen achieved a specific training effect which was not evident from [Vdot]RO2max values.