The Requirements For Rowers' Bodies

The Requirements for Rowers' Bodies

Jul 4, 2011 | By Nicole Waldo

As with any sport, your body type has a lot to do with how well you will perform. Unless your body conforms to certain requirements, it will be hard to be a successful rower. Being a certain height, weight and having a certain level of fitness allows you to row the boat more efficiently and with more power.

Height

Men and women who are taller are generally more suited for rowing because their strokes are longer in the water. They take fewer strokes than a person of a shorter height, which means they will not fatigue as easy. According to Dr. Kevin Thompson of the English Institute of Sport, "Male Olympic Rowers tend to be between 6 feet 3 inches and 6 feet 5 inches, and female Olympic rowers tend to be between 5 feet 11 inches and 6 feet 1 inch in height."

Weight

Rowers bodies tend to be muscular and lean. An elite male tends to weigh between 198 and 209 lbs., while an elite female rower tends to weight between 165 and 176 lbs. However, because they carry the majority of weight through lean muscle mass, they have to keep their body fat percentage low so they do not add any extra weight. Extra weight can make the boat sink lower in the water, creating unnecessary drag.

Aerobic

About 70 percent of the energy expended when rowing is aerobic. This means your heart and lungs are doing most of the work. In order to succeed in rowing, a rower needs to have a high level of endurance, meaning a large lung capacity and healthy cardiovascular system.

Anaerobic

Thirty percent of a rower's energy expended is anaerobic, which is muscular strength. When rowing, the water creates resistance, which a rower needs to pull against with his oar. Therefore, they need to have a strong upper body. If a rower lacks strength, he will have a harder time moving his oar through the water, which results in less distance with each stroke and early fatigue.