Physical culture and exercise play a vital role in people’s lives. It becomes a fundamental part of improving the health and well-being of a person and a key factor in developing the psychological state of an individual (Sparks et al. 2). With such meaningful participation in sports in human life, many people do not even think about a strong connection between physics and sports. In almost every sport, the laws of physics are present and applied.
The sport itself originally appeared in England, where carriers competed with each other, who were absolute professionals relative to other people. Initially, neither the vessels nor the so-called athletes themselves were similar to the sport that is now called sports rowing. Later, much was done to make the bulky and clumsy boats develop high speeds. Lighter materials were used to manufacture academic boats, making the vessels narrower and more streamlined. Additionally, a significant advance in rowing was the invention of a movable seat – “bank”, which made it possible to use all the strength of the legs.
During rowing, athletes use the muscles not only of the arms but also of the legs and back. The rowing itself is cyclical; the movements performed on the line on which the athletes ‘ vessel moves are repeated and performed with the strength and speed fixed by the athlete. All the work that takes place during rowing aims to overcome wind resistance and resist the friction force of water and air. That is why, through the deepening of knowledge about the connection of academic rowing with physics, it is possible to eliminate some athletes’ mistakes and improve the team’s results.
Modern academic vessels are divided into swing and pair vessels. Doubles are singles, twos, and fours; in pairs, the athlete rows with two oars, in the swing – with one. However, it should not be considered that it is easier to grow in a rowboat. There is only one paddle, but it is much longer and heavier than other ones. The size and weight of the boats vary depending on the athlete and his weight and height. Most miniature boats have high maneuverability and are convenient for use by a minimum number of athletes. The advantage of long twenty-meter boats is fast speed gain, many athletes, and close work between the competition participants.
This division of vessels is not accidental; it allows rowers with different physical characteristics to show their capabilities. In singles, for example, athletes with excellent coordination and a propensity for independent decisions usually succeed. On deuces with a coxswain, the rowers are more often tall, with great physical strength. In the top eight, trainers prefer to put athletes distinguished by their tightness and sense of rhythm. The correct position of the body is such that the back, during the start, is slightly pushed forward, the shoulders are relaxed and extended, the handles of the oars are held only by the fingers, the hand and forearm create a straight line (Labbé et al. 6). The rower should look in front of him so that oxygen will flow into the lungs, which will help avoid an accident.
There are two main points – this is the beginning and end of the stroke. The beginning is characterized by the entrance, the water hook with the oars, and the stroke itself. The end of the stroke is a position where the torso and legs form an obtuse angle, and the handles should approach the lower ribs. That is followed by the removal of the oars from the water and recovery. After that, cycling occurs, and the athlete continues to alternate these actions, that is, to row, until he comes to the finish line.
The force of resistance can help the rower and hinder since most of the more remarkable resistance comes from the wind. Therefore, turning the paddle blade by scrolling the handle becomes very important: we change it to the horizontal one from the vertical position. It will also increase the boat’s stability due to maintaining the exact distance of the blades from the water. The force of friction affects the boat’s movement on the water. That happens because even despite the most significant efforts of the rowers, if the force and maneuverability were not correctly positioned, the rowers would not be able to maintain balance on the boat. If the action of water and air did not hinder the boat’s movement, the boat would move evenly and straightforwardly for an unlimited time.
It is also important to note the effect of the physical force of the lever on more efficient control and movement of the boat. The lever is used to get more force on the short shoulder by using less force on the extended shoulder. In rowing, the second lever principle is used for more movement on the long shoulder with less movement on the short one. As an example, the influence of knowledge about physical properties on rowing is manifested during movement. For example, to increase the intensity of rowing and the boat’s speed, it is essential to increase the speed of the stroke and not the speed of preparation for it. That is achieved by the fact that the blade is in the water for less time, and, accordingly, braking is reduced due to water resistance.
Rowing is a beautiful sport, and the main difference between kayaks and canoes is the boat’s unique design. The movable seat allows sportspeople to bend their legs at the knees. Due to this, the muscles of the lower extremities are included in the work. At the same time, an extensive range of movements increases the load on the chest and shoulder girdle muscles. A particular stroke stretches the muscles of the back and abs. Classical rowing develops the entire human muscular system. Academic rowing is a challenging sport, both technically and physically. To achieve great success, athletes need to be solid and hardy to withstand all the loads and intelligent and resourceful to master the technique and adequately tune in to the race.
To conclude, due to the reasons listed above, it is so important to know the laws of physics that affect the objects around people. Each athlete or even a group of athletes can improve their results by applying them in practice because of their knowledge. It is also essential to correct the movements to an ideal state and bring them to be automatic. Those athletes who were able to feel the full force of the movements and the correctness of their execution can become real champions. Thus, by combining intelligence and strength, each athlete will become part of what will lead the entire team to victory.
References
Labbé, Romain, et al. “Physics of Rowing Oars.” New Journal of Physics, vol. 21, no. 9, 2019, pp. 1-12.
Sparks, Katherine V., et al. “Conscious Processing and Rowing: A Field Study.” International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 2021, pp. 1–17. Web.