ABSTRACT
The sport of rowing requires participants to move a boat’s shell over a given distance (most major competitions use 2000 m) in the quickest time possible (Smith and Loschner, 2002). Rowers are regularly subjected to performance testing to assess their current level of fitness and to determine their ranking within the squad with whom they compete for boat selection. This testing is commonly carried out on rowing ergometers as water testing is often more susceptible to the influences of other variables affecting the outcomes (such as weather, water conditions, equipment used, and crew combinations). Race situations are replicated by performing similar distances to that of competitions (most commonly 2000 and 5000 m). Studies into the accuracy of these rowing ergometers have concluded that the Concept II ergometer is a valid and reliable measure of on-water performance (Macfarlane et al., 1997; Schabort et al., 1999; Soper and Hume, 2004).
