Ventilation and locomotion coupling in varsity male rowers

Ventilation and locomotion coupling in varsity male rowers. J.Appl. Physiol . 87(1): 233-242, 1999. Ventilation and locomotion coupling (entrainment) h as been observed and described in rowers during incremental exercise protoc ols but not during simulated race conditions. The purpose of this descripti ve study was to examine ventilation and locomotion entrainment on a breath- by-breath and stroke-by-stroke basis in varsity male rowers during a maxima l 2,000-m ergometer test. Eight of eleven rowers entrained ventilation at i ntegral multiples of stroke rate (1:1, 2:1, or 3:1) for at least 120 consec utive seconds, with a 2:1 entrainment pattern being most common. In all 2:1 -entrained subjects, inspiration occurred at catch and finish and expiratio n occurred during the latter portions of drive and recovery. In entrained a nd unentrained breaths from all rowers, peak flow rates and tidal volumes v aried depending on when the breath was initiated during the! stroke cycle. Entrained rowers made use of these differences and breathed in a pattern by which they avoided initiating breaths that resulted in reduced tidal volum e. The present data indicated that ventilation was impaired at stroke finis h and not at catch, as hypothesized by some previous researchers. Ventilati on also appeared to be subordinate to consistent locomotive patterns under race conditions.