Dr. Hab., Professor A.I. Pogrebnoy¹
PhD, Associate Professor A.P. Ostrikov²
A.Y. Getman^2
1Federal Research Center for Physical Culture and Sports (FRS VNIIIFK), Moscow
²Kuban State University of Physical Culture, Sport and Tourism, Krasnodar

Keywords: rowing, training workload control and management, innovative approach, advanced test technologies.

Background. Presently the efforts to develop efficient training workload control systems, rate their benefits and implement them in the practical training systems are limited since no standard control technologies are available. The standardization attempts in their turn are complicated due to the individual responses to the training workloads being diverse and unpredictable. Since a training workload may be described by the sets of “external” and “internal” criteria, it may be controlled by manipulations with the key variables [1]. It should be mentioned that the gradually growing data flow urges the sport communities apply modern information technologies for the performance test and management purposes [2] albeit most of these technologies and methods imply the process test data being obtained only after competitions or trainings – due to mostly technical difficulties. Only a few test rates (heart rate, basic biomechanics etc.) are obtainable on a real time basis. This is the reason why the sport community gives a high priority to the real-time performance/ workload test and control methods and tools.

Objective of the study was to theoretically substantiate benefits of a new training workload control and management system for the rowing sport elite.

Methods and structure of the study. We used a Speed ​​Coach test system to fix time, strokes, rowing pace, boat speed, distance and athlete’s heart rate; Digi Trainer test system to fix time, strokes, pace, boat speed and distance; and MSON orientation and navigation module to obtain the following kinematic parameters: stroke phase, linear accelerations, angular velocities, orientation angles, linear velocities and linear vertical displacements. We also used a computerized optoelectronic test system (including an Fastec Imaging camcorder shooting 1000 frames per second and a notebook) to fix the boat movement kinematics.

Results and discussion. It is common nowadays for the foreign sport researchers to use Speed ​​Coach (made by Nielsen-Kellerman) and Digi Trainer (made by Polaritas GM Electronic) test systems with the GPS and accelerometer functions, and complement them by a HR-reading Polar system and often by a camcorder. The test systems fix the boat speed and strokes in the memory cards for presentations in graphical and digital formats, with the videos normally synchronized with the accelerometric data to produce such charts. A new virtual training environment with a feedback capacity offered by Italian researchers [6] gives reference models for the technical excellence trainings of the rowing sport elite; and this development was acknowledged as highly beneficial for the training system improvement purposes.

Furthermore, a Canadian research team [3] offered a boat speed test and control method with an auditory feedback capacity to improve the training process quality. Their Portuguese colleagues [5] made an analysis of the kayaker’s movement force test logs. Their test system includes 2D strain gauges and wireless data transmission channel to test with great precision the forces on the paddle in the rowing process. One of the studies [4] profiles and analyzes accelerations and boat speeds for singles and coxed eights using a 3D accelerometer. One more study [7] gives the individual workload control profiles obtained using the paddle driving force test and analyzer system complemented by the kayaking process video records.

It may be summarized, therefore, that the foreign sport science makes progress in the training workload test and analyzer systems, although the coaching community is still in need of the integrated external/ internal workload elements test and management systems that could be used to control the training process of a few rowers at a time on a real-time basis.

A research team from the Moscow Aviation Institute designed and tested a MSON orientation and navigation module to test the movement kinematics, although the system still needs to be complemented by a body response tracking capacity and further upgraded to make it possible for the coach to control a few boats at a time.

We have tested and analyzed in our study the most advanced and popular movement kinematics test and analyzer systems applicable in the rowing sport – to identify the pros and cons of the optoelectronic/ instrumental test classes. Given in Table 1 hereunder is our comparative analysis of the benefits and drawbacks of the kinematics metering technologies – that apparently shows that the modern optoelectronic systems are more beneficial for the rowing biomechanics analyzing purposes, particularly when they are complemented by a multifunctional navigation and orientation system to facilitate the theoretical and practical service in the training process. Based on the above considerations, we came up with a set of design requirements to the training workload control and management system for the rowing sport elite, with a special priority to the workload management and test data transmission aspects and technologies. We selected the boat speed, work pace and heart rate as the key workload parameters.

Table 1. Comparative analysis of the benefits (+) and drawbacks (-) of the popular movement kinematics measuring methods

Main requirements to the data transmission technology are the following: good transmission range versus the other popular wireless technologies to easily cover the water lanes; low power demand of the data transmission and test equipment; high interference tolerance of the radio signal in the modern urban environments within the 868-915 MHz band; high scalability and modularity of the network; and no need for special frequency usage permissions (ISM band).

All these requirements are met by LoRa data transmission protocol. It should be noted that any data exchange system is effective when the receiver and transmitter are well synchronized to make it possible to set the time limits for the transmission-reception blocks/ frames and single characters. A LoRa-based network is typically designed in a "star made of stars" topology, with the stars connected to the central server through gateways. This design assumes the first-level stars being on board around the LoRa transmitter that transmits signals from the pace/ HR/ speed etc. sensors. The second-level star groups the income data coming from every boat to the coach. The system offers a higher-level star option – e.g. the coach’s control and management service generalizing and analyzing capacity.

We selected the best data transmission technologies and system design solutions to develop three prototypes of the rower-coach interaction and data exchange systems with the real-time process control and management functions. Basically the new system consists of an on-board test data transmission and processing unit; and a base coaching service unit. The units are different basically in the inbuilt application software toolkits. Thus the base coaching service module software serves the coaching terminal and processes the data flow from the LoRa gateways. And the on-board unit collects data from the peripheral sensors via a short-range wireless (Wi-Fi and Bluetooth) channels, processes them and forms packets for the long-range transmission. The power demand of the system in the debugging process was rated at 5 to 20 mW to secure high energy efficiency and stable data reception within the 200m to 560m (5 mW to 20 mW) range. The signal was received in the both operation versions by a whip omnidirectional antenna with the 3dB gain.

Conclusion. The new training workload control and management system requires the workload parameters and data transmission technology being preselected. Basically the system assumes for the training workload rating purposes the boat speed, rowing pace and rower’s heart rate, with LoRa protocol used as a basis for the data transmission technology. Basically the new system consists of an on-board test data transmission and processing unit; and a base coaching service unit to ensure the training process being controlled and managed on a real-time and high-quality basis.

References

1. Platonov V.N. Periodization of sports training: general theory and its practical application. Kiev: Olimpiyskaya literatura publ., 2013. 624 p.
2. Pogrebnoy A.I., Karpov A.A. Innovative way to assess competitive activity of elite canoeists. Nauka i sport: sovremennye tendentsii. Kazan, 2019. no. 2. v.  7. pp. 40-45.
3. George W. Concurrent versus delayed feedback: biomechanics in rowing. 31 International Conference on Biomechanics in Sports (2013), Taipei, Taiwan, Editors: Tzyy-Yuang Shiang, Wei-Hua Ho, Peter Chenfu Huang, Chien-Lu Tsai, July 07 –July 11. 2013.
4. Gomes B., Viriato N., Sanders R., Conceição F., Vaz M. Vaz, Vilas-Boas J.P. Analysis of single and team kayak acceleration. Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences. 2011. 11 (Suppl. 2). pp.  255-257.
5. Gomes B., Viriato N., Sanders R., Conceição F., Vilas-Boas J.P., Vaz M. Analysis of the on-water paddling force profile of an elite kayaker.  Portuguese Journal of Sport Sciences. 2011.  11  (Suppl. 2). pp. 259-262.
6. Ruffaldi E., Filippeschi A. Structuring a virtual environment for sport training: A case study on rowing technique. Robotics and Autonomous Systems. 2013. no. 61. pp. 390-397.
7. Wainwright B., Cooke C., Low C. Performance related technique factors in Olympic sprint kayaking. 33 International Conference of Biomechanics in Sports, Editors: Floren Colloud, Domalain Mathieu, Monnet Tony.  Poitiers, France, June 29 – July 03, 2015. Available at: http://isbs2015.sciencesconf.org/57200/ [date of access: Jan 15, 2016].

Corresponding author: rudra54@yandex.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to substantiate the development of an innovative methodology of operating control and management of training loads imposed on highly-qualified rowers. Using the SPEED COACH device, we registered the following parameters: duration of rowing, number of strokes, rowing speed, boat speed, distance covered, and athletes’ heart rate. The DigiTrainer device helped determine the duration of rowing, number of strokes, pace, boat speed, and distance covered. Using the MSON module, we monitored the following kinematic parameters: paddle, linear accelerations, angular velocities, orientation angles, linear velocities, linear vertical displacements. The method of optical-electronic registration of kinematic parameters of the boat movement involved high-speed video recording at a speed of 1000 frames per second (Fastec Imaging) and the use of a portable PC, combined into a hardware-software complex. The article considers the conditions for the development of the methods of control and management of training loads in rowing, for which the selection of load parameters and data transfer technology is an important stage. These conditions are implemented in the LoRa transmission technology protocol. Based on the selected data transfer technologies and optoelectronic circuits solutions, we created three prototype hardware complexes for the formation of an information and communication environment for operating control and management of training loads imposed on highly-qualified rowers. In terms of structure, the complex consists of the following units: data collection, data processing and information transfer unit (from the side of the boat) and core (coaching) unit.

A well-grounded innovative approach will enable to provide more qualitative control and management of training loads in rowing sports.