The goal of this randomized clinical trial is to learn whether an individualized rowingtraining program based on ventilatory thresholds can improve aerobic capacity and 2,000 mrowing performance in youth rowers from Valdivia, Chile. The study will include male andfemale rowers aged 14 to 18 years who train regularly at Club de Remeros Arturo Prat.The main questions it aims to answer are:Does ventilatory threshold-based individualized training improve maximal oxygen uptakecompared with the usual club training program? Does ventilatory threshold-basedindividualized training improve 2,000 m rowing ergometer performance compared with theusual club training program?Researchers will compare an individualized training group with a usual training group tosee if prescribing exercise intensity based on each rower's ventilatory thresholdsproduces greater improvements in aerobic capacity, rowing performance, and relatedphysiological measures.Participants will:Complete baseline and post-intervention assessments, including a cardiopulmonary exercisetest on a rowing ergometer, blood lactate measurements during an incremental rowing test,a 2,000 m rowing ergometer test, body composition assessment, and respiratory musclestrength testing.Be randomly assigned to either an individualized training group or a usual traininggroup.Complete a 12-week rowing training program. Use heart rate monitors during study trainingsessions so that training intensity, adherence, and safety can be monitored.Report any discomfort, injuries, or adverse events during the study.The individualized training group will train according to heart rate zones derived fromeach participant's ventilatory thresholds measured at baseline. The usual training groupwill continue the club's regular training program. The study will also explore individualvariability in training response and the proportion of participants who respond or do notrespond to each training approach.
This study will be conducted in youth rowers from Club de Remeros Arturo Prat in
Valdivia, Chile. Rowing performance over 2,000 m depends on aerobic capacity, submaximal
physiological markers, and the ability to sustain high power output during a
race-specific effort. In many youth rowing settings, training intensity is commonly
prescribed using coach experience, stroke rate, perceived exertion, heart rate responses,
and field-based performance tests. However, individualized physiological markers, such as
the first and second ventilatory thresholds, may provide a more precise approach to
exercise intensity prescription.
This randomized controlled trial will compare a 12-week individualized rowing training
program based on ventilatory thresholds with the usual training program used by the club.
Participants will be male and female rowers aged 14 to 18 years who train regularly under
technical supervision. After baseline assessments, participants will be randomly assigned
to either an individualized training group or a usual training group.
Both groups will maintain a comparable overall rowing training volume. The main
difference between groups will be how training intensity is prescribed and monitored. In
the individualized training group, heart rate training zones will be derived from each
participant's baseline ventilatory thresholds obtained during cardiopulmonary exercise
testing on a rowing ergometer. In the usual training group, participants will continue
the regular club training program, guided by the coaching staff according to usual
practice.
Participants will be assessed before and after the intervention. The primary outcomes
will be maximal oxygen uptake and 2,000 m rowing ergometer performance. Secondary
outcomes will include power output associated with ventilatory thresholds, blood lactate
response during incremental exercise, body composition, maximal inspiratory and
expiratory pressures, training adherence, training load, and adverse events. The study
will also explore the magnitude of training effects, interindividual variability in
response, and the proportion of responders and non-responders in each group.
The purpose of this trial is to determine whether ventilatory threshold-based
individualized training produces greater physiological and performance adaptations than
usual training in youth rowers under real-world club training conditions.
Behavioral: Individualized Rowing Training
A 12-week rowing training program in which exercise intensity is individualized using
heart rate zones derived from the first and second ventilatory thresholds measured at
baseline during cardiopulmonary exercise testing on a rowing ergometer. Three training
zones will be defined for each participant: below the first ventilatory threshold,
between the first and second ventilatory thresholds, and above the second ventilatory
threshold. Coaches will adjust stroke rate, power output, effort duration, or recovery
periods to maintain the target intensity zone during study training sessions.
Behavioral: Usual Rowing Training
A 12-week usual rowing training program prescribed and supervised by the club coaching
staff according to standard practice. Training intensity will be guided by usual coaching
criteria, including stroke rate, perceived exertion, heart rate responses, training
volume, and field-based performance references. Heart rate monitors will be used during
study training sessions to document training load, intensity, and adherence.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Active membership in Club de Remeros Arturo Prat of Valdivia.
- Age between 14 and 18 years.
- Systematic rowing training of at least 3 sessions per week under technical
supervision.
- Participation in federated competitions or internal selection processes.
- Medical clearance for intense physical exercise issued by a treating physician or
competent institution, such as a pre-participation medical evaluation.
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of uncontrolled cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic disease that
contraindicates intense exercise, such as structural heart disease, clinically
significant arrhythmias, or uncontrolled asthma.
- Acute or chronic musculoskeletal injury that prevents completion of the training
program or study assessments.
- Use of medications that may substantially modify the physiological response to
exercise, such as beta-blockers, or declared history of doping.
- Acute illness at the time of assessment, including fever, infection, or respiratory
symptoms.
- Cognitive, language, or behavioral difficulties that prevent understanding
instructions or complying with the study protocol.
- Simultaneous participation in another exercise intervention study.
Universidad San Sebastián, Valdivia Campus
Valdivia, Los Ríos Region, Chile
Investigator: Johnattan Cano Montoya, MSc.
Contact: +56962382339
johnattan.cano@uss.cl
Investigator: Johnattan Cano Montoya, MSc.
Johnattan Cano Montoya, MSc.
+56962382339
johnattan.cano@uss.cl
Not Provided