Rowing Ergometry for Assessment of Aerobic Fitness in Children

Rowing ergometry has not been utilized as a modality for investigating aerobic fitness in children. This study evaluated the feasibility and reproducibility of measuring peak V˙O₂ during progressive rowing on a Concept II ergometer in 16 healthy boys aged 9 - 12 years. All subjects were able to row effectively after minimal modeling and verbal instruction. Mean peak V˙O₂ values on two trials were 42.9 (± 7.9) and 41.6 (± 8.7) ml × kg^-1 × min^-1 (p > 0.05). No significant differences were observed in mean peak heart rate (190 ± 11 vs. 191 ± 12 bpm), peak ventilation (58.6 ± 11.0 vs. 59.1 ± 13.9 L × min^-1), and RER (1.02 ± .07 vs. 1.02 ± .05) on the two trials. The coefficient of variation of peak V˙O₂ was 5.4 %. These data suggest that rowing ergometry is an effective method of measuring aerobic fitness in preadolescent boys.

Key words:

Children, exercise testing, rowing, aerobic fitness.

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