Training-level induced changes in blood parameters response to on-water rowing races.

The study investigated blood markers allowing discriminating physiological responses to on-water rowing races, notably regarding training volume of athletes and race duration. College (COL) and national (NAT) rowers performed a 1000- or 2000-m race. Capillary blood samples obtained before and post-race allowed an analysis of a wide range of serum parameters. COL rowers had a lower rowing experience and training volume than NAT. Races induced a higher lactate concentration increase in NAT compared to COL (10.45 ± 0.45 vs 13.05 ± 0.60; p ¼ 0.001). Race distance (2000 vs. 1000 m) induced a higher increase in fatty acids (0.81 ± 0.31 vs +0.67 ± 0. 41; p ¼ 0.05) and triglycerides concentration in NAT (0.33 ± 0.07 vs 0.15 ± 0.09; p ¼ 0.01), but remained comparable between NAT and COL for the 1000-m races. Amino acids concentrations increased in NAT (0.19 ± 0.03, p ¼ 0.01), but urea concentration increased only for NAT rowers having performed the 2000-m race (0.72 ± 0.22, p ¼ 0.05). Transferrin concentration decreased after the 2000-m race (-0.60 ± 0.25, p ¼ 0.05), and concentration changes of haptoglobin differed between NAT2000 (tendency to be reduced) and COL (tendency to by enhanced) (p ¼ 0.05). Our results confirmed that the training level in rowing is associated with higher glycolysis utilization during maximal 1000- and 2000-m exercise and no difference for similarly trained subjects at these two distances. Our study also demonstrated that a 2000-m race could initiate fatty and amino-acid metabolisms in highly trained subjects. Therefore, these changes in blood parameter responses to a characteristic rowing exercise highlighted the importance of monitoring the physiological effects of training in sporting conditions and according to individual characteristics. Key pointsRowing races despite their short duration could initiate fatty and amino-acids metabolisms.Effects of maximal exercise on metabolic blood parameters depend on individual capabilities, suggesting that the effects of exercise or training on a given blood parameter may be monitored relatively to individual maximal concentrations rather than by inter-individual comparison.High training level may lead to marked disruption of homeostasis which could be easily reversed by high recovery capabilities.