Editorial: Rowing: advances in training and performance—an editorial

Abstract

Editorial on the Research Topic Rowing: advances in training and performanceWhile the history of rowing may date back millennia, the modern version of the sport was borne out of England in the inaugural Oxford-Cambridge boat race in 1829 (1). Since this formalization of competitive rowing there have been obvious evolutions in the sport, such as the formation of organizing and governing bodies overseeing the sport, namely the Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Aviron (FISA) and the addition of rowing to the Olympics. Since then, FISA, now "World Rowing", has been a central governing body recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). This background is critical considering that World Rowing sets official race distances, weight classes, and equipment standards, in efforts to ensure fair racing (1). Understanding this context is critical for coaches to accurately assess and train their athletes for competition, especially as the IOC and World Rowing have decided to accept a shortened course for the 2028 Olympic games (from 2,000 to 1,500 m).Despite the history of rowing, and its firm establishment as a bona fide sport in the Olympic games, the study of rowing has been somewhat limited. From PubMed search of "rowing" the first entry is in 1868 investigating the "Effects of Rowing on the Circulation…", which predates the first official soccer match (c. 1872). However, the number of articles netted from searching "Rowing[title]" in PubMed is 677, while the same search approach "Soccer[title]" yields an impressive 6,887 articles. Thus, with over a century of rowing training and competition, research on rowing pales in comparison to other sports.Accordingly, the present research topic sought to publish works on rowing: advances in training and performance. Rowing is a high-intensity endurance sport, demanding a large volume of training for anaerobic metabolism, aerobic capacity, as well as muscular strength, endurance and power (2). Though physiological attributes may be a good indicator of rowing performance (2), a better understanding is required on the importance of economy/efficiency (3), training methods, technique, nutrition, technology/ equipment, and athlete monitoring/management strategies ( 4) and their relation to training capacity and/or performance. The articles within the present research topic published in the journal are an eclectic, but essential collection of articles addressing the key factors in rowing training and performance: the athlete (Busta et al.) equipment (Nieuwburg et al.) venue or course (and conditions) (Binnie et al.) and training aspects of rowing performance (Wang and Zhao) (Figure 1).

Heart rate variability of elite female rowers in preparation for and during the national selection regattas: a pilot study on the relation to on water performance

“…Regarding the latter, peak rowing power over 5 or 10 stroke maximal tests has been found to be highly related to 500 m ( 18 ) and 2 km times ( 12 ). Rowing performance, both on the water and on a rowing ergometer, is dependent on several physical determinants, such as height and wing span [recently highlighted here ( 19 )], and physiological determinants, as mentioned above, but also includes maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2max ) and the power output associated with VO 2max ( W VO2max ) ( 12 , 20 ). However, quantifying on-water performance is often challenging because of the environment and the inability to assess the performance of the crew individually.…”