Monitoring Performance of Elite Rowers Tiaki Brett Smith A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) July 2011 School of Sport and Recreation Primary Supervisor: Will G Hopkins i Table of Contents List of Figures .............................................................................................................vi List of Tables..............................................................................................................vii Attestation of Authorship.............................................................................................ix Publications, Reports and Conference Presentations Arising from this Doctoral Thesis Peer-Reviewed Published Articles ............................................................................x Article Submitted to Peer-Reviewed Journal .............................................................x Conference Presentations ..........................................................................................x Report ......................................................................................................................xi Acknowledgements.....................................................................................................xii Abstract ......................................................................................................................xv Preface Thesis Rationale....................................................................................................xvii Introduction.......................................................................................................xvii A Review of Overtraining...................................................................................xix Originality of the Thesis.......................................................................................xxix Thesis Organization ..............................................................................................xxx Chapter 1 Variability and Predictability of Finals Times of Elite Rowers......................................1 Overview ..................................................................................................................1 Introduction...............................................................................................................2 Methods ....................................................................................................................2 Performance Data..................................................................................................2 Statistical Analysis ................................................................................................3 Results ......................................................................................................................6 Discussion...............................................................................................................10 Acknowledgments...................................................................................................14 ii Chapter 2 Measures of Rowing Performance ..............................................................................15 Overview ................................................................................................................15 Introduction.............................................................................................................16 Measures of On-Water Rowing Performance...........................................................18 Impeller Measurement of Boat Speed ..................................................................19 GPS Measurement of Boat Speed ........................................................................20 On-Water Ergometry ...........................................................................................23 Measures of Off-Water Rowing Performance..........................................................23 Off-Water versus On-Water Time-Trials..............................................................24 Reliability of the Off-Water Time-Trial ...............................................................26 Other Off-Water Test Measures...........................................................................27 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................29 Chapter 3 Are There Useful Physiological or Psychological Markers for Monitoring Overload Training in Elite Rowers? ...........................................................................................34 Overview ................................................................................................................34 Introduction.............................................................................................................35 Methods ..................................................................................................................36 Subjects and Design.............................................................................................36 Saliva Sampling...................................................................................................37 Blood Sampling...................................................................................................37 Performance Tests ...............................................................................................37 Psychometrics......................................................................................................38 Saliva and Blood Assays......................................................................................38 Statistical Analyses..............................................................................................38 Results ....................................................................................................................40 Performance ........................................................................................................40 Markers and Relationship with Performance........................................................41 Discussion...............................................................................................................42 iii Chapter 4 Heart-Rate Variability and Psychological Stress in an Elite Female Rower who Developed Overtraining Syndrome: Case Report........................................................50 Overview ................................................................................................................50 Methods ..................................................................................................................50 Results and Discussion............................................................................................53 Acknowledgements.................................................................................................54 Chapter 5 Managing Athletes on the Edge: Overtraining, and the Complexities of Coaches’ Decision Making.........................................................................................................55 Overview ................................................................................................................55 Introduction.............................................................................................................56 Optimal Conditioning, Overreaching and Overtraining ........................................57 Making Meaning and Making Decisions as a Coach: the Scientific and the Subjective............................................................................................................59 Naturalistic Decision Making (NDM) as a Framework for Exploring Situated Decisions.............................................................................................................60 The Research Context .............................................................................................62 Results and Discussion............................................................................................64 Theme 1: Personal Definition and Description of Overtraining ...........................64 Theme 2: Risk and Justification of Intensive Training Regimes ...........................69 Theme 3: Recognising the Signs of Overtraining .................................................74 Conclusion ..............................................................................................................83 Chapter 6 General Discussion .....................................................................................................86 Future Directions.....................................................................................................92 Compiled reference list...............................................................................................93 Appendix A Ethics Approval and Relevant Subject Information for the Study in Chapter 3. .....109 iv Appendix B Salivary Hormone and Blood Markers of Performance in Elite Rowers.....................114 Report to New Zealand Rowing Association Incorporated and Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC) .........................................................................................114 Appendix C Psychometric Recall Inventories for Study in Chapter 3. .......................................139 Appendix D Ethics Approval and Relevant Subject Information for Study in Chapter 4............141 Appendix E Psychometric