What is the clinical evidence from this study?

Study design: Other. Population: Trained male rowers (n=12). Intervention: Rowing ergometer exercise at 5% above maximal lactate steady state (MLSS+5%) vs. Exercise at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) (185 ± 24 W). Primary outcome: Blood lactate concentration (BLC) at 30 minutes (p=<0.05).

What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to compare physiological responses during rowing at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and 5% above MLSS.

April 27, 2026Open Access

Metabolic, VO 2 kinetics, and muscle oxygenation responses at and above maximal lactate steady state in trained male rowers

Q: What are the key findings of this study?

Rowing exercise at 5% above maximal lactate steady state resulted in significantly higher blood lactate concentration (5.02 vs. 3.07 mmol/L, p<0.05) compared to MLSS, with no VO2 slow component.

Q: What question did this study set out to answer?

The study aims to compare physiological responses during rowing at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and 5% above MLSS.

Key Result

Rowing exercise at 5% above maximal lactate steady state resulted in significantly higher blood lactate concentration (5.02 vs. 3.07 mmol/L, p<0.05) compared to MLSS, with no VO2 slow component.

Key Points

The study aims to compare physiological responses during rowing at maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and 5% above MLSS.
Twelve trained male rowers underwent incremental and constant workload tests to determine MLSS and MLSS+5%.
Physiological metrics, including blood lactate concentration and muscle oxygenation, were measured during exercises.
Data collected included oxygen uptake kinetics, heart rate, and muscle oxygenation parameters.
At MLSS+5%, blood lactate concentration was significantly higher (5.02 ± 1.44 mmol·L-1) compared to MLSS (3.07 ± 1.03 mmol·L-1; p < 0.05).
No V̇O2 slow component was observed in either MLSS or MLSS+5% trials.
Muscle oxygenation [HHb] increased significantly at MLSS+5% (83.9 ± 16.9%) versus MLSS (72.7 ± 13.2%).

Structured PICO

Does rowing exercise at 5% above MLSS alter physiological responses compared to MLSS in trained male rowers?

Population

12 trained male rowers (V̇O2max: 53.0 ± 6.3 mL·kg-1·min-1)

Intervention

Rowing ergometer exercise at 5% above the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS+5%) for 30 minutes

Comparator

Rowing ergometer exercise at the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) for 30 minutes

Outcome

Blood lactate concentration (BLC), oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics, heart rate (HR), and muscle oxygenation (deoxygenated hemoglobin [HHb] and tissue saturation index [TSI]) of the vastus lateralissurrogate

Exercise at 5% above MLSS induces a non-sustainable blood lactate response but maintains stable muscle oxygenation and no V̇O2 slow component in trained rowers.

Main Result

Absolute Event Rate: 5.02% vs 3.07%

p-value: p=<0.05

Abstract

This study aimed to compare physiological responses during rowing ergometer exercise at the maximal lactate steady state (MLSS) and 5% above the MLSS (MLSS+5%). Blood lactate concentration (BLC), oxygen uptake (V̇O2) kinetics, heart rate (HR), and muscle oxygenation (deoxygenated hemoglobin HHb and tissue saturation index TSI) of the vastus lateralis were compared. Twelve male rowers (V̇O2max: 53.0 ± 6.3 mL·kg-1·min-1) completed an incremental test and several 30-min constant workload tests to determine their MLSS and MLSS+5%. At the 30th minute, exercise at MLSS+5% (195 ± 25 W) resulted in significantly higher BLC (5.02 ± 1.44 vs. 3.07 ± 1.03 mmol·L-1), V̇O2 (3.56 ± 0.35 vs. 3.33 ± 0.33 L·min-1), HR (177 ± 11 vs. 166 ± 10 bpm), and HHb (83.9 ± 16.9 vs. 72.7 ± 13.2%) compared to MLSS (185 ± 24 W) (p 2 slow component was observed during either the MLSS or MLSS+5% trials. In conclusion, while exercise 5% above MLSS induced a non-sustainable BLC response, there was no apparent V̇O2 slow component and HHb remained stable in the vastus lateralis during rowing exercise.