Injury Prevention and Biomechanics in Elite Rowing Athletes

Elite rowing combines cyclic power generation with precise technique, placing considerable load on the musculoskeletal system and predisposing athletes to both acute and overuse injuries. The interplay of biomechanical factors—stroke rate, joint kinematics and stroke typology—influences force distribution across the spine, hips and knees. Low back pain represents the most prevalent complaint, while shoulder, rib and lower limb overuse injuries contribute to training interruptions and performance decrements. Advances in motion analysis and imaging have clarified coordination patterns and microstructural muscle changes, informing tailored training and recovery protocols. Parallel developments in neuromuscular conditioning, equipment adaptation and injury surveillance underpin a multifaceted prevention framework. Translating biomechanical insights into practical interventions—from optimised ergometer settings to perturbation-based stabilisation training—holds promise for reducing injury burden and extending athletic longevity across international rowing cohorts.

Research from Nature Portfolio

No recent Nature Portfolio content available.

Injury Prevention and Biomechanics in Elite Rowing Athletes publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in injury prevention and biomechanics in elite rowing athletes across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Continuous relative phase (CRP): A measure of the timing relationship between the motions of two joints during cyclic activity.

Coordination variability: The cycle-to-cycle fluctuations in interjoint movement patterns, indicative of motor adaptability or potential overload.

Perturbation-based trunk stabilisation training (PTT): A neuromuscular exercise approach using unpredictable disturbances to improve core control and spinal stability.

Ergometer: A rowing machine that simulates on-water rowing, used for training, performance assessment and biomechanical analysis.

Low back pain (LBP): Pain in the lumbar region often arising from repetitive spinal flexion, extension and load in rowing activities.

References

1. Effects of rowing stroke rates on lower extremity intra-joint coordination variability in experienced young rowers. PLOS ONE (2023).
2. Examining the Peer-Reviewed Published Literature Regarding Low Back Pain in Rowing: A Scoping Review. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy (2023).
3. Perturbation-based trunk stabilization training in elite rowers: A pilot study. PLOS ONE (2022).
4. Advanced muscle imaging in adolescent elite rowers utilizing diffusion tensor imaging: Association of imaging findings with stroke typology. PLOS ONE (2023).