Associations between Multimodal Fitness Assessments and Rowing Ergometer Performance in Collegiate Female Athletes

Abstract

The purpose was to examine the association of critical power from a three-minute all-out row (CP3-min) and peak power from a one-stroke maximum test (1-Stroke) with laboratory-based fitness assessments (peak oxygen consumption [V.O2peak] and Wingate anaerobic test [WAnT]) and 6000 m (6K) and 2000 m (2K) rowing ergometer performance. Thirty-one female collegiate rowers (20.2 ± 1.1 years, 70.9 ± 6.9 kg, and 172.2 ± 4.8 cm) participated in fitness and rowing performance testing. Pearson’s correlations, linear regression, and Cohen’s q were used to determine statistical relationships. Absolute V.O2peak values displayed significant correlations with 6Ktotal (−0.68), 6Ksplit (−0.68), 2Ktotal (−0.64), and 2Ksplit (−0.43). Relative V.O2peak displayed significant correlations with 6Ktotal (−0.36), and 6Ksplit (−0.37). CP3-min demonstrated significant correlations with 6Ktotal (−0.62), 6Ksplit (−0.62), 2Ktotal (−0.61), and 2Ksplit (−0.99). For 2Ksplit, a significant difference was observed between relative V.O2peak and CP3-min correlations with a “large” effect size (q = 2.367). Furthermore, 1-Stroke showed significant associations with 6Ktotal (−0.63), 6Ksplit (−0.63), 2Ktotal (−0.62), and 2Ksplit (−0.44), while WAnT produced non-significant correlations. Absolute V.O2peak CP3-min accounted for significant proportions of variance observed with performance measures (p < 0.05). Practitioners should consider incorporating CP3-min and 1-Stroke as additional tests for gauging rowing performance.