Effects of non-oarside-arm pull on the forces at the handle and foot-stretcher in sweep-rowing

Authors

  • Klaus Mattes University of Hamburg Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science Institute of Human Movement Science Dept. Movement and Training Science
  • Stefanie Manzer University of Hamburg Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science Institute of Human Movement Science Dept. Movement and Training Science
  • Nina Schaffert University of Hamburg Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science Institute of Human Movement Science Dept. Movement and Training Science
  • Martin Reischmann University of Hamburg Faculty of Psychology and Human Movement Science Institute of Human Movement Science Dept. Movement and Training Science
  • Wolfgang Böhmert Institute for Research and Development of Sports Equipment (FES) Berlin Tabbertstraße 8, 12459 Berlin, Germany,

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.12922/jshp.v4i1.79

Keywords:

biomechanics, technique optimisation, rowing technique, sweep-rowing, propulsive efficiency

Abstract

In sweep-rowing the rotational movement of the oar-handle around the swivel is executed by the arm and shoulder and results in an asymmetry between the body sides. The non-oarside-hand (-arm, -shoulder and -leg) pulls with a longer lever and more tangentially at the handle than the oarside-arm. Aim of the study was to examine the non-oarside-arm-force and its effect on the longitudinal, normal force at the oar-handle, and on the stretcher-force of the non-oarside- and oarside-leg.

Twenty-six male elite rowers of the German Rowing Federation participated in coxless-fours. Normal, longitudinal, non-oarside-arm force on the oar-handle, and stretcher-force of the oarside- and non-oarside-leg were measured with a mobile measuring system. Normal two-handed rowing (Baseline), one-handed oarside-arm, non-oarside-arm, and dominant two-handed non-oarside-arm pull were compared using an analysis of variance.

The results showed that the non-oarside-arm pull produced higher propulsion compared to the oarside-arm because the torque on the oar is greater and the stretcher-force reduced with lower differences between the oarside- and non-oarside-leg. Main reason is the longer lever and in addition the more tangential pull direction at the handle of the oarside-arm. A dominant non-oarside-arm pull should be practiced for increased performance and reduced leg asymmetry, but increases trunk asymmetry.

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Published

2016-04-11

Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2016): Journal of Sport and Human Performance

Section

Original Research Articles

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