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Jarek MäestuSports Scientist (PhD),

Ex rower and rowing coach,Rowing Academy Scientist

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THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANTHROPOMETRIC

PROFILE

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Overview

Rowing is a weight-dependent sport where anthropometric parameters of elite rowers emphasize the importance of body mass and size. Successful elite rowers are lean, relatively tall and have a high proportion of muscle mass compared to other endurance disciplines. Long arms are of advantage for giving an extra leverage.

Sweep rowers are taller and more muscular compared to scullers, which is related to different biomechanics of rowing with one oar and different dynamics of boat movement.

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In general, it has been noticed that promising and successful rowers are already taller than the general population during childhood and they maintain that advantage throughout their childhood. As muscle mass is definitely a very important parameter of a successful rower, it is of high importance to pay attention to increases in muscle mass during the late adolescence. In Figure 1 the anthropometric profile of a successful rower who has won regattas from junior to U23 can be seen. With almost no change in height, there is substantial increase in lean body mass while body fat % is decreasing.

Figure 1. Development of anthropometric parameters of a successful junior rower until U23.

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The overall comparison of the main anthropometrical parameters suggests that there are relatively big changes in males and females when comparing the medal advancement from junior to elite level (Table 1).

Parameter Elite malesn=67

Lightweight males n=144

Junior males n=383

Elite females

n=51

Lightweight females

n=50

Junior females n=220

Age (years) 24.2 24.3 17.8 23.8 24.1 17.5

Height (cm) 191.3 180.7 187.4 174.3 167.1 174.5

Body mass (kg) 90 70.3 82.2 67.4 57.1 69.5

Sitting height (cm) 99.7 93.8 96.8 92.1 87.6 90.8

Leg length (cm) 91.7 87.6 90.7 82.3 81.2 83.9

Thigh girth (cm) 60.3 51.0 57.9 57.5 49.2 58.5

Table 1. Comparison of mean body dimensions of international male and female rowers (Bourgois et al. 1998).

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Within a group of high level rowers (competitors of World Championships) the previously described anthropometrical profile favors the medal winners indicating that those rowers who get to finals are indeed taller and possess more skeletal robustness compared to those who do not make into the finals (Table 2).

Parameter Male finalists n=144

Male non-finalists n=222

Female finalists n=112

Female non-finalists n=94

Height (cm) 189.3 186.3 176.6 172.2

Body mass (kg) 84.8 80.6 71.3 67.7

Sitting height (cm) 97.6 96.2 91.6 90.1

Leg length (cm) 91.6 90.1 85.1 82.6

Thigh girth (cm) 58.7 57.7 59.2 57.8

Table 2. Comparison of mean body dimensions in male and female junior rowers: finalists vs. non-finalists (Bourgois et al. 1998).

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In conclusion

Excluding the lightweight categories, it could be advantageous to recruit rowers who are tall and with massive (high muscle mass) body build to ensure that the total mass that is transported during the competition is active muscle, rather than the “dead weight” of fat.

The focus on the development of muscle mass must be during the years of late adolescence and young adulthood (16-20 years).

References

• Bourgois J, Claessens AL, Vrijens J. Hazewinkel Anthropometric Project 1997. A study of world class male and female junior rowers. Vlaamse Trainerschool, BLOSO, Brussels, 1998.

• Jürimäe J, Jürimäe T, Mäestu J. The oarsman. In: Rowing. Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science, NH Secher and S Volianitis (editors). Blackwell Publishing, 2007.

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• Body-build of lightweight rowers (whitepaper)• Heavyweight to lightweight rowing (research)• Anthropometrics of elite junior male and female rowers (research)

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