A Pilot Study of the Effect of Locomotor and Mechanical Loads on Elite Rowers During Competition Days

Abstract

(1) Background: Fatigue impacts neuromuscular performance, especially in endurance sports like rowing. The aim is to explore how continuous workload affects explosiveness and fatigue progression. This study examines acute fatigue during repeated race events by assessing vertical jump height, force output, and subjective fatigue over three consecutive days at the 2024 Hungarian National Rowing Championships. (2) Methods: Nine rowers (five women, four men; mean age 20.17 ± 1.73 years) competed in multiple 2000 m races over three days. Lower limb explosiveness was measured via countermovement jump (CMJ) using a Kistler force plate, pre- and post-race. Heart rate data were recorded with Polar Team Pro^®. Subjective fatigue was assessed using the 'Daily Wellness Questionnaire'. (3) Results: We found a significant difference in the pattern of the medians of the force exerted by males during the jump between the results of the Thursday preliminaries (ThuQ_Me = 13.3) and the second final (ThuF2_Me = -75.5). Women showed no notable changes. (4) Conclusion: Repeated high-intensity races induce neuromuscular fatigue in men, reflected in reduced explosiveness and increased subjective fatigue. Future research should incorporate biochemical markers to deepen the understanding of fatigue mechanisms.

Keywords: competitive rowing; explosive strength; neuromuscular fatigue; performance.

Figure 1

Flow chart of the research program. Notes: The figure shows the activities of the competitors during the three days of competition. On the morning before the race, after warming up, they performed a countermovement jump (CMJ), then boarded the boats and competed. Within 30 min after the competition, they performed another jump. This was followed by a rest period, the length of which depended on the competition schedule (1–3 h). These tasks were also performed in the afternoon.

Figure 2

Heart rate pattern recorded for a competitor in all events. Notes: The total number of 2000 m races completed by each competitor over the three days. The white ellipse represents, heart rate pattern during a race, the red ellipse represents the warm-up before the race.

Figure 3

Difference between after and before measurements on height of jump (HJ) [cm] (a), maximal force delivered during jump (MF), [N] (b), and relative peak power (RMP), [W/kg] (c) among males (a1,b1,c1) and females (a2,b2,c2). Notes: Thu: Thursday, Fri: Friday, Sat: Saturday, Q: qualifying heat, SF: semi-final, F1: final 1, F2: final 2. Y-axis: zero means there was no difference between before and after measurements, negative values = after > before, positive values = before > after.

Figure 3

Difference between after and before measurements on height of jump (HJ) [cm] (a), maximal force delivered during jump (MF), [N] (b), and relative peak power (RMP), [W/kg] (c) among males (a1,b1,c1) and females (a2,b2,c2). Notes: Thu: Thursday, Fri: Friday, Sat: Saturday, Q: qualifying heat, SF: semi-final, F1: final 1, F2: final 2. Y-axis: zero means there was no difference between before and after measurements, negative values = after > before, positive values = before > after.

Figure 4

‘Daily wellness questionnaire’ results (mean ± std error) for the three competition days, each morning. Notes: The “Daily Well-Being Questionnaire” contained four questions about perceived energy levels, sleep quality, muscle condition, and stress levels. Each question was rated on a 5-point scale, where 1 meant poor and 5 meant very good well-being. The scores for the three days are represented by three different colors.