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Endurance athletes have indicated that the ability to tolerate high levels of athletic pain accounted for much of their success (Egan, 1987). This study examined the role of stress inoculation training (SIT) in increasing athletic pain tolerance on an isometric quadriceps task. Athletes (N = 45) from the sports of rowing, cycling, and triathlon completed the study, which consisted of performing a wall sit for as long as possible in a pretest-posttest control group design. The results indicated that subjects receiving training in SIT significantly increased their tolerance time on the wall sit. F(4, 84) = 2.51, p < .048, as compared to the control. Consistent with other research (Vallis, 1984), there was no difference between subjects who received training in SIT and those who received training in only one component of SIT. The results suggest that SIT may assist athletes in tolerating higher levels of athletic pain during training and competition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The study presents a comparative analysis of the threshold power and exercise-induced changes in the blood antioxidative stress parameters in a standard rowing test between two measurements (terms of the study). Basic procedures. The study comprised 15 subjects aged between 20 and 23 years, members of the Polish National Youth Rowing Team at the end of preparatory phase of the annual training cycle in 2003 (Term I) and in 2004 (Term II). At both terms selected indices of antioxidative stress and the threshold power (AT4) induced by physical exercise with graded intensity were analyzed. Main findings. At the second term of the study, as compared with the first term, a higher activity of superoxide dismutase in blood samples at rest was found. At the same time a decreased activity of glutathione peroxidase in blood samples after exercise was observed. The level of lipid peroxidation products in red cells (TBARS) regarded as the marker of free radical-induced damage was also significantly lower. The results indicated that at the second term of the study the rate of anaerobic metabolism measured with the blood lactate level was lower than at the first term despite the fact that the threshold power values between both terms of the study did not reveal any significant differences. Conclusions. The annual training cycle in young rowers, although not contributing significantly to the increase of the threshold power, induced positive changes in their antioxidant defense systems; namely, the lower level of TBARS after exercise and the higher SOD activity at rest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which examines the impact of low-intensity and a mixture of low and high-intensity training on physiological and performance responses in rowing training. The subjects of the study were eighteen experienced rowers that undertook a 12-week program of lactate threshold (LT) training (LOW) in which the responses were assessed by a progressive exercise test to exhaustion. Results indicate that LOW training programs improved performance and attenuated the blood lactate response to a given exercise intensity.

The purpose of the study was to assess whether postural stability in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) could be affected by training. Ten post-rehabilitated persons with thoracic SCI performed 30 sessions of kayak ergometer training during a 10-week period. The ergometer was modified with a balance module adjustable in the medio-lateral direction. Before and after the training period, horizontal support-surface translations were presented randomly, either in the forward or backward direction, or to the side, while subjects sat in their own wheelchairs. The platform perturbation consisted of an unpredictable initial acceleration, followed by a constant-velocity phase and a predictable deceleration. Markers were applied on the trunk and movement data were recorded in 3D. Four kinematic responses of trunk angular and linear displacement were investigated. In general, postural stability was improved after training with smaller rotational and linear displacements of the trunk observed during both predictable and unpredictable translations in all directions. Thus, the training was able to improve the ability of persons with long-standing SCI to maintain an upright sitting posture in response to externally generated balance perturbations, which should imply an increased capacity to master similar challenges to balance in everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examined possible hormonal and psychological changes in elite male rowers during a 24-week preparatory period. Eleven elite male rowers were tested on seven occasions over the 6-month training season. Fasting testosterone, growth hormone, cortisol, and creatine kinase activity, together with perceived recovery-stress state were evaluated after a day of rest. Maximal oxygen consumption ([Vdot]O2max) was determined before and after the training period. Training was mainly organized as low-intensity prolonged training sessions. Significant increases in [Vdot]O2max (from 6.2 ± 0.5 to 6.4 ± 0.6 l · min−1) were observed as a result of training. The overall perceived recovery-stress index did not change during the preparatory period. Standardized recovery and stress scores changed during the course of training in comparison with pre-training values. When basal hormone concentrations were compared with the first measurement, significant changes in testosterone and cortisol were observed together with changes in mean weekly training volume. Basal testosterone (r = 0.416; P = 0.010) and cortisol (r = 0.527; P = 0.001) were related to mean weekly training volume. Basal growth hormone did not change during the training. Changes in creatine kinase activity demonstrated similar pattern with changes in mean weekly training volume. The overall perceived recovery-stress index was related to testosterone, cortisol, growth hormone, and creatine kinase activity (r > 0.299; P < 0.015). Our findings indicate that testosterone and cortisol are more sensitive to changes in training volume than either growth hormone or perceived recovery-stress state in elite rowing training. Increases in these stress hormone concentrations represent a positive adaptation to current training load. Significant relationships between hormonal and perceived recovery-stress state suggest that metabolic and psychological changes should be carefully monitored to avoid a negative effect on the training status of elite rowers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the acute responses of serum growth hormone, testosterone, and cortisol to three training protocols in rowing. Six young rowers, members of the national team, carried out three frequently used protocols in rowing, i.e., an endurance, a moderate interval, and a resistance protocol, on separate days in a counterbalanced design. Blood samples were collected before, immediately after, and 4 h after exercise for the determination of growth hormone, testosterone, cortisol, and creatine kinase. All three protocols caused marked increases in growth hormone, the most spectacular being that immediately after the endurance protocol. The change in testosterone concentration immediately after the endurance protocol was significantly higher than the changes after the other two protocols. Cortisol concentration was significantly higher immediately after the endurance protocol than after the other two protocols, but remained relatively low in all cases, suggesting that these protocols did not considerably promote catabolism in muscle tissue. Based on these data, endurance training caused greater responses of the three hormones studied compared to interval or resistance training. In fact, resistance training (at intensities above 85% of 1RM) did not cause any significant changes in the three hormones. We therefore propose that evaluation of training programmes designed for elite athletes should include measurements of hormonal changes in order to ascertain that the programmes do cause the expected adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the influence of long-term and short-term rowing training for increasing efficiency of rowing stroke. Topics discussed include the calaverage power and performance of stroke cycle, the efficiency of conversion of work carried on paddle with horizontal movement of boat and the effectiveness of conversion of mechanical work for improvement of diagnostics in rowing.