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

Abstract

Background The 6-minute rowing ergometer test (6-min RT ) 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-min RT 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-min RT . Methods Sixteen amateur male rowers were part of the study. All participants were instructed to perform an incremental test (IT) and a 6-min RT . Determination of the ventilatory parameters for the first ventilatory threshold (VT1), the second ventilatory threshold (VT2), and 6min RT VO 2max were performed by correlating the outcomes of VT1, VT2, and VO 2max obtained in the IT, with the outcomes of 6-min RT . For these purposes, Pearson’s test was used, with the following criteria: trivial, 0.9. The significance level was p 0.6). Conclusion Based on IT ventilatory parameters and concordance analysis, VT1 and VT2 of 6-min RT are determined at 55 and 80%, respectively, of both ventilatory parameters and their corresponding mechanical outcomes and HR.