Force-Velocity Profile of Competitive Kayakers: Evaluation of a Novel Single Kayak Stroke Test

The assessment of the force-velocity (F-V) profile in athletes may have important applications for training prescription, injury management, and fatigue monitoring. This study aimed to assess whether a novel single kayak stroke test (SKST) is able to provide the F-V relationship variables (maximum force, maximum velocity and maximum power) of competitive kayakers with acceptable reliability and external validity. Six female (age: 20.3 ± 3.7 years) and eight male (age: 20.8 ± 2.4 years) elite kayakers performed the SKST, bench press, bench pull, and short Wingate kayak test. The individual F-V relationships were highly linear [median r (range): left stroke = 0.986 (0.897 – 0.998); right stroke = 0.987 (0.971 – 0.999)]. The reliability of the F-V relationship parameters obtained during the SKST was high (within-session: CV ≤ 4.48% and ICC ≥ 0.93; between-session: CV ≤ 8.06% and ICC ≥ 0.65). The validity of the F-V relationship parameters obtained during the SKST was generally very high for maximum power (r range = 0.825 – 0.975), high for maximum force during both the bench press and the bench pull (r range = 0.751 – 0.831), and high or moderate for maximal velocity during the bench pull (r = 0.770 – 0.829) and the bench press (r = 0.355 – 0.471), respectively. The SKST can be considered a feasible procedure for testing the maximal upper-body muscle mechanical capacities of kayakers.

Petrovic, M., Garcia-Ramos, A., Janicijevic, D., Perez-Castilla, A., Knezevic, O. M., Mirkov, D. M. (2021). Force-Velocity Profile of Competitive Kayakers: Evaluation of a Novel Single Kayak Stroke Test. Journal of Human Kinetics, 80, 49-59. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0100

Petrovic, M., Garcia-Ramos, A., Janicijevic, D., Perez-Castilla, A., Knezevic, O. M., and Mirkov, D. M. (2021). Force-Velocity Profile of Competitive Kayakers: Evaluation of a Novel Single Kayak Stroke Test. Journal of Human Kinetics, 80, pp.49-59. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0100

Petrovic, Milos et al. “Force-Velocity Profile of Competitive Kayakers: Evaluation of a Novel Single Kayak Stroke Test.” Journal of Human Kinetics, vol. 80, 2021, pp. 49-59. doi:10.2478/hukin-2021-0100.

Petrovic M, Garcia-Ramos A, Janicijevic D, Perez-Castilla A, Knezevic OM, Mirkov DM. Force-Velocity Profile of Competitive Kayakers: Evaluation of a Novel Single Kayak Stroke Test. Journal of Human Kinetics. 2021;80:49-59. https://doi.org/10.2478/hukin-2021-0100