RELIABILITY OF POWER OUTPUT DURING ROWING CHANGES WITH ERGOMETER TYPE AND RACE DISTANCE

Abstract

The percent standard error of measurement (%SEM) in performance of fifteen national level rowers was determined for five repeated 500 m and two repeated 2000 m races on a Concept 11 and RowPerfect ergometer. The %SEM in mean power between 5 x 500 m races, regardless of gender, was 2.8% (95% CL = 2.3 to 3.4%) for the Concept 11 ergometer and 3.3% (95% CL = 2.5 to 3.9%) for the RowPerfect ergometer. Over 2000 m the "loSEM in mean power was 1.3% (95% CL 0.9 -2.9%) for the Concept 11 ergometer and 3.3% (95% CL 2.2 -7.0%) for the RowPerfect ergometer. The results highlight an increase in %SEM during: (1) performance races of less than 2000 m on the Concept 11 ergometer, and (2) performance races on the RowPerfect ergometer compared with the Concept II ergometer over 500 m and 2000 m.