Blood lactate levels and performance testing are usually conducted separately on rowers, making the testing process time and money consuming.
Bourdon et al. (2009) conducted a study to assess if physiological and performance testing could be done together. Ten rowers (2 males, 8 females – 3 World Champions, 5 World Championship representatives and 2 Australian National Championship representatives) volunteered to participate in the study. The athletes performed an incremental seven-step rowing test (INCR), a 2000 m time trial (2k), and a submaximal six-step incremental rowing test followed by a 2000 m time trial after a 15 minute rest (2-in-1). The tests occurred in random order on three separate days having at least two days in between where athletes resumed their standard training. The tests were performed on Concept II ergometer.
It was found that physiological and performance parameters (blood lactate thresholds, accumulated oxygen deficit, heart rate, work parameters) were not significantly different between 2-in-1 and INCR or 2k. Only peak oxygen uptake was found to be higher during 2-in-1 compared to INCR (4.23±0.22 vs. 4.14±0.20 l·min−1, p = 0.02) and peak rating of perceived exertion to be significantly lower during 2-in-1 compared to INCR (19.4±0.2 vs. 19.9±0.1.
What to learn from this?
The results of this study show that an incremental exercise combined with a 2000 m time trial could be used as a mixed test protocol for testing both physiological function and performance. This could save time, money and the test can be incorporated more easily to the training routine of the athletes.
| Table1. Physiological and performance characteristics for 2-in-1 and 2000 m rowing time trials | |||
| 2-in-1 | 2k | p | |
| Time (s) | 430.0 ± 7.3 | 428.5 ± 7.2 | 0.22 |
| Peak VO2 (L·min-1)a | 4.23 ± 0.22 | 4.22 ± 0.21 | 0.86 |
| Time to peak VO2 (min)a | 5.7 ± 0.3 | 5.9 ± 0.2 | 0.86 |
| Peak heart rate (beats·min-1) | 193.1 ± 2.3 | 191.5 ± 2.4 | 0.05 |
| Peak blood lactate concentration (mmol·L-1) | 9.8 ± 0.5 | 10.8 ± 0.3 | 0.13 |
| Average power output (W) | 286.7 ± 16.8 | 288.6 ± 17.2 | 0.54 |
| Work done (kJ) | 122.2 ± 4.6 | 122.6 ± 4.7 | 0.61 |
| Peak RPE (arbitrary units) | 19.4 ± 0.2 | 19.2 ± 0.2 | 0.32 |
| AOD (L) | 3.30 ± 0.34 | 3.36 ± 0.37 | 0.84 |
| AOD: Accumulated oxygen deficit; RPE: rating of perceived exertion; a Data for only nine athletes shown due to missing values as result of technical problems | |||
| Bourdon et al. 2009 | |||
| Table2. Physiological and blood lactate threshold parameters for 2-in-1 and incremental exercise tests | |||
| 2-in-1 | INCR | p | |
| Peak VO2 (L·min-1)a | 4.23 ± 0.22 | 4.14 ± 0.20 | 0.02 |
| Time to peak VO2 (min)a | 5.7 ± 0.3 | 3.6 ± 0.2 | < 0.001 |
| Peak heart rate (beats·min-1) | 193.1 ± 2.3 | 194.3 ± 2.3 | 0.14 |
| Peak blood lactate concentration (mmol·L-1) | 9.8 ± 0.5 | 10.0 ± 0.4 | 0.13 |
| Peak RPE (arbitrary units) | 19.4 ± 0.2 | 19.9 ± 0.1 | 0.02 |
| Power output at LT (W) | 169.3 ± 8.6 | 169.5 ± 8.6 | 0.59 |
| VO2 at LT (L·min-1) | 2.89 ± 0.13 | 2.86 ± 0.12 | 0.15 |
| Heart rate at LT (beats·min-1) | 154.9 ± 2.2 | 155.1 ± 2.2 | 0.79 |
| Power output at AT (W) | 234.7 ± 13.2 | 233.8 ± 13.4 | 0.58 |
| VO2 at AT (L·min-1) | 3.69 ± 0.17 | 3.67 ± 0.16 | 0.54 |
| Heart rate at AT (beats·min-1) | 179.4 ± 1.9 | 180.4 ± 2.0 | 0.36 |
| Average power output for final work load (W) | 286.7 ± 16.8 | 290.1 ± 18.2 | 0.52 |
| RPE: rating of perceived exertion; LT: lactate threshold; AT: anaerobic threshold; a Data for only nine athletes shown due to missing values as result of technical problems | |||
| Bourdon et al. 2009 | |||
Source
Bourdon PC, David AZ, Buckley JD. A single exercise test for assessing physiological and performance parameters in elite rowers: The 2-in-1 test. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 2009; 12: 205-211.
