Rib Injuries and Lightweights

[puzzled]

Anders Vinther's ppt presentation on rib stress fractures at World Rowing Coaches Conference, January 2010, http://www.hunrowing.hu/files/Rib%20str ... ctures.pdf
and his PHD thesis, Rib stress fractures in elite rowers, http://lup.lub.lu.se/luur/download?func ... Id=1275294

[Estara]

I would suspect that it's got something to do with not having as much material to use to help remodel. Less food = less available for rebuilding of the muscles/bones.

[southernrower]

A lwt masters rower that I know has been plagued by rib problems. She went to see a former US National team doctor. The doctor told her the following-

- no bench pulls, bent over rows or machines ok
- no bungee rowing
- do not put erg above 120 watts, preferably 110
- no power work in boat such as low stroke rates at full power or 1/2 boat rowing
- be careful about overtraining
- gain some weight(she could gain weight and still be lwt)
-rig single at no less than 160 cm spread and row with no less than 88 inboard but preferably 89

[tbe2112]

The 4th tip is a staple of our program, we do both parts at the same time... no doubt it helps us since we don't usually do weights while we're on the water but im pretty sure thats how i aggravated some ribs in the summer rowing starboard. When i started sculling and switched to port it went away for a bit but then crept back in the fall. I ended up popping to ribs out of my back during the trent .

Is the rigging suggestion just for girls or is that the same limit for guys? What is this doctor's suggestion for people who like to rig tight like Nolte?

[southernrower]

I was relating what a doctor told a woman. So i am not sure what the doc would tell anyone else. But the woman usually rows at a 288 oar length for sculling. My understanding on Nolte's rigging is that he takes both the inboard and outboard down so that the load is lessened. When I look at the biorow algorythym, the outboards are pretty short relative to the inboards so it should be ok.