Rowers are a pretty modest bunch, fairly averse to attention – myself excluded, of course ;). But when a few fellow elite-level rowers and I arrived at the lab for physical testing, we often drew a crowd of curious physiology geeks. Why? Because rowers have some of the biggest aerobic engines sport scientists ever get to see!
How do I know? Because the physiologists told us. VO₂ max—the body’s maximum capacity to take in, transport and use oxygen—was one measure on which rowers consistently outperformed athletes from many other sports.
Today, wearable technology is allowing our very own Crew Class members to see that same rowing effect for themselves. Loads of you have watched your estimated VO₂ max improve massively since starting Crew Class, with many recording higher scores than similarly active peers who choose other forms of exercise. While a wearable can’t match the accuracy of laboratory testing, it can show us some useful trends, and the trend among consistent Crew Class members is extremely encouraging.
The VO₂ max shows how effectively your lungs, heart, blood vessels and muscles, (cardiovascular system), work together as exercise intensity increases. A higher score generally means you can produce more energy aerobically for longer periods of time, and recover more effectively. It is also importantly associated with better long-term cardiovascular health.
It isn’t a perfectly objective metric however, as age, sex, genetics, training history and body composition all influence VO₂ max, so it should not be treated as a competition or a standalone verdict on health. Instead, we would suggest finding your own VO2 and measuring yourself against that.
Why does Crew Class help? Indoor rowing recruits the legs, glutes, core, back and arms all in one motion, placing a huge demand on the body’s oxygen-delivery system. In this way, rowing challenges the heart to pump more blood per beat while training the muscles to use oxygen more efficiently.
Crew Class also combines steady, lower intensity aerobic work with harder intervals. Longer pieces build endurance, and the high-intensity efforts push you towards the upper limit of your aerobic system which is the stimulus needed to improve VO₂ max.
Progressive sessions, regular attendance and the added motivation of training with a crew turns that stimulus into lasting improvement. If your VO₂ max is rising and your rowing feels stronger, Crew Class is doing exactly what it should: building a fitter, more efficient engine one stroke at a time!
