Rowers Weight Vs. Drag

When you think of the sport of rowing, you may envision sleek boats gliding effortlessly across mirror-like water as the sun's early rays shed a rosy glow over the horizon. But don't let the genteel grace and choreographed symmetry of the sport fool you. Elite rowers are highly trained athletes who work hard to maintain a balance in height, weight and strength.

Rowers' Physical Characteristics

Perhaps more than any other sport, elite rowing requires specific physical characteristics. Long, strong arms and legs and a strong back are desirable. Female open-weight rowers average about six feet tall and have an average weight of about 155 pounds. Male open-weight rowers average about six feet six inches tall, with an average weight of around 200 pounds. In addition to height and weight, rowers are evaluated on stroke length and speed.

Body Composition

Boats are powered by crews of either four or eight, plus a coxswain. According to Oxford University, the speed of a boat is relative to the hull's displacement in the water, and that displacement is determined by the mass of the crew. During competition, the average weight of a boat's crew is a critical factor. Rowing athletes strive to maintain low body fat, because fat is dead weight that does not contribute to powering the boat. Lean muscle mass, on the other hand, contributes to speed and power, but there is a point at which too much lean mass adds to hull displacement and renders diminishing returns.

Drag and Strength

The greater the displacement of the hull, the greater the drag or resistance when the boat is moving. Rowers need to train to develop their optimal strength without adding to the boat's drag. In the book "Rowing Faster", author Volker Nolte explains that absolute strength is the maximum amount of weight an individual can lift, while relative strength is maximum weight lifted relative to body weight. For rowers the goal is developing optimal relative strength while maintaining body weight, or in other words getting as strong as possible without putting on excessive muscle mass.

Training for Balance

Rowing is considered a strength-endurance sport, meaning athletes need to develop a strong cardiovascular system as well as powerful muscles. While training activities like running develop aerobic systems of the lungs, heart, arteries and muscle cells, sport-specific training has been found to be more beneficial. In the article "Power Output of Olympic Rowing Champions, researchers Raymond Stefani and Dina-Marie Stefani found an increased level of performance ensued when athletes began using rowing ergometers to train. Similarly, resistance training that targets sport-specific muscles, particularly the back, biceps and quadriceps, will enhance power output on the water.