A COMPARISON OF EXERCISE PERFORMANCE ON BICYCLE AND ROWING ERGOMETERSIN FEMALE MASTER RECREATIONAL ROWERS

Limited information exists on the response to maximal exercise testing in female masters level recreational rowers, This study examined card iorespiratory and physiologic responses to progressive, incremental ex ercise using a variable resistance rowing ergometer and a cycle ergome ter in six experienced female masters level rowers. Maximal oxygen upt ake (VO2 max:33.8 +/- 7.3, 33.5 +/- 6.6 ml . kg(-1). min(-1)) and minu te ventilation (VEmax: 86.1 +/- 9.6 l . min(-1), 88.7 +/- 13.8 I min-l ) were similar during both tests (rower vs cycle). Maximal heart rates vt ere significantly higher on the cycle ergometer (177 +/- 9 beats/m in(-1)) compared to the rowing ergometer (173 +/- 11 beats/min(-1)), w hile peak power on the rowing ergometer (175 +/- 22 watts) was lower t han the cycle ergometer (187 +/- 41 watts). Blood lactate levels taken 1 minute following exercise were similar on the rowing ergometer (10. 5 +/- 1.7 mRI/I) and cycle ergometer (11.8 +/- 1.5 mM/l) and indicated maximal effort was achieved in all subjects. Ventilatory threshold le vels were significantly different on the rower (2.0 +/- 0.16) versus t he cycle ergometer (1.9 +/- 0.18) (p=0.38), These data suggest that th e cycle and rowing ergometers yield relatively similar results when te sting maximal exercise performance in this population.