Six-minute rowing test: a practical tool for training prescription, from ventilatory thresholds and power outputs, in amateur male rowers.

Background: The 6-minute rowing ergometer test (6-minRT) is valid and reliable for establishing maximal aerobic power (MAP) in amateur male rowers. However, ventilatory thresholds (VTs) have not yet been established with their mechanical correspondence in this test. Objective: The primary objective was to determine the VTs in the 6-minRT achieved by amateur male rowers, while the secondary objective was to determine the correspondence between ventilatory, mechanical, and heart rate (HR) outcomes of the 6-minRT. Methods: Sixteen amateur male rowers were part of the study. All participants were instructed to perform an incremental test (IT) and a 6-minRT. Determination of the ventilatory parameters for the first ventilatory threshold (VT1), the second ventilatory threshold (VT2), and 6minRTVO2max were performed by correlating the outcomes of VT1, VT2, and VO2max obtained in the IT, with the outcomes of 6-minRT. For these purposes, Pearson's test was used, with the following criteria: trivial, <0.1; small, 0.1-0.3; moderate, 0.3-0.5; high, 0.5-0.7; very high, 0.7-0.9; or practically perfect, >0.9. The significance level was p < 0.05. Results: The IT analysis determined that VT1 and VT2 correspond to 55 and 80% of VO2max, respectively. A high correlation was observed between IT outcomes in VT1, VT2, and VO2max, with the outcomes of 6-minRT (r > 0.6). Conclusion: Based on IT ventilatory parameters and concordance analysis, VT1 and VT2 of 6-minRT are determined at 55 and 80%, respectively, of both ventilatory parameters and their corresponding mechanical outcomes and HR.

Six-minute rowing test: a valid and reliable method for assessing power output in amateur male rowers.

Background: Standardized tests are currently available to assess power output in elite rowers. However, there are no valid and reliable tests to assess power output in amateur rowers. Objective: This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of a 6-min rowing ergometer test (6-minRT) as a predictor of power output (PO) in amateur male rowers. Methods: Twelve male amateur rowers were part of the study. All participants were instructed to perform an incremental test (IT), a 6-minRT test, and a retest. The validity of the 6-minRT was determined by comparing maximum oxygen uptake (VO2max) and power output (PO) between the IT and 6-minRT. Reliability included the coefficient of variation (CV), intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), and mean standard error between the 6-minRT test and retest. The significance level was p < 0.05. Results: There was no significant difference in VO2max in both IT and 6-minRT (p = 0.18), while the mean power output (Pmean) generated in the 6-minRT equaled 91.96% of the maximal aerobic power (MAP) generated in the IT (p = 0.004). Reliability analysis for the 6-minRT showed a CV = 0.50% and ICC = 0.97 for distance, a CV = 1.85% and ICC = 0.96 for Pmean. Conclusion: From a ventilatory and mechanical point of view, the 6-minRT is a maximally valid test for establishing MAP in amateur rowers. Also, the 6-minRT evidences a high degree of agreement between days. Therefore, the 6-minRT is a valid and reliable test for assessing PO in amateur male rowers.