A kinematic comparison of ergometer and on-water rowing

Douglas Henderson Lamb, Purdue University

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare on-water rowing with ergometer rowing by identifying the important kinematic variables using vector loop analysis. Thirty subjects from the U.S. Heavyweight Rowing Team selection camp of 1982 were filmed rowing on-water and on an ergometer. The film was digitized for X and Y coordinates of the body joint locations and displacement and velocity parameters were determined during a cycle of rowing from catch to finish. A model of rowing was designed such that the rowing movement could be defined as comprising two closed vector loops. A vector loop analysis was done to obtain the kinematic coefficients for each frame of film and then were used to derive kinematic variables that were related to the total linear oar velocity. Five kinematic variables which described the contributions of five different body segments to the total linear oar velocity were analyzed statistically to find differences in the patterns of rowing on-water and on an ergometer. The results of a repeated measures analysis of variance indicated that the kinematics of the upper and lower arm segments are significantly different in comparing on-water with ergometer rowing kinematics. The upper arm segment contributed more to the total linear oar velocity of on-water rowing early in the cycle than erogmeter rowing. The lower arm segment contributed more to the total linear oar velocity late in the cycle for ergometer rowing than on-water rowing. The kinematic measures of the upper and lower arm velocities at the beginning and end of the cycle were relatively small in comparison to the contributions made by the back and legs to the total linear oar velocity. Therefore these findings were of minor importance to the overall results of the study. The vector loop analysis provided the major finding that the back segment contributed more to the rowing cycle for both on-water and ergometer rowing than any other body segment including the legs. The major contribution of the back to the total linear oar velocity occurred at approximately 60% of the cycle for both types of rowing. It was concluded that on-water rowing kinematics are similar to ergometer rowing kinematics for the legs and the back. A test comprising biomechanical criteria can be used to select rowers from kinematic variables measured on a rowing ergometer. Further research is necessary to investigate the kinematics of the arm motion in rowing to account for the observed differences between ergometer and on-water rowing of the arm motion at the beginning and end of the rowing cycle.

Degree

Ph.D.

Advisors

Widule, Purdue University.

Subject Area

Physical education

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