Rowing Science

Volker Nolte, PhD, is a professor emeritus of the University of Western Ontario, where he taught biomechanics and coaching (1993-2019) and also was the head rowing coach (1993-2017). Nolte’s leadership has led Western University Mustangs men’s rowing team to 14 Ontario University Athletics Championships and six Canadian University Rowing Championships. Since he took over the women’s team in 2010, they have won five Ontario University Athletics Championships and four Canadian University Rowing Championships. In 2008, the men’s eight won the German University Championships, the Temple Challenge Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta (against 74 other crews from around the world), and the Canadian University Rowing Championships. In 2013 and again in 2015, Nolte’s Mustang teams swept all university events in Canada, winning the Ontario and Canadian Rowing Championships in the women’s and men’s divisions. In 2016, the Western University team not only won both Ontario University Athletics Championships (women’s and men’s), as well as the Canadian University Rowing Championships for women, but also won two gold medals at the Head of the Charles Regatta. In addition, Nolte was the lightweight men’s national team coach with the German Rowing Association from 1984 to 1990 and with Rowing Canada Aviron from 1992 to 2000. His crews won an Olympic silver medal at the 1996 Atlanta Games, two world championship titles in 1993 and 2000, and several more medals at world championships. His latest successes with the Canadian national team were bronze silver medals at the 2012 and 2013 U23 World Championships in the women’s single. In 2015-2016 he again coached the Canadian women’s single, this time to two Pan Am Games gold medals, a first place at the FISA World Cup in Italy, a sixth place at the World Championships 2015, and a 10th place at the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games. Nolte received undergraduate degrees in both physical education (1976) and civil engineering (1979) from the University of Saarbrücken and a PhD in biomechanics (1984) from the German Sport University in Cologne, Germany. He is an internationally acknowledged expert in biomechanics and coaching, and he presents frequently at scientific and coach education conferences worldwide. His research includes biomechanics of high-performance sport and coaching. He is also a distinguished researcher in the field of sport equipment, and his innovations range from special measurement tools to new boat designs. His research has produced many papers in refereed journals, articles in various publications, and several books. For his work in coach education, he received the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in January 2013. For his outstanding success as a coach, he was named Ontario Coach of the Year in 1993 and again in 2014. Finally, Row Ontario presented Nolte with the President's Award in 2017, and Rowing Canada Aviron honored him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018 to recognize his achievements in many areas of rowing. Nolte is an experienced rower, representing his home country of Germany at several world championships. He is still a keen competitor in the Masters events. Nolte lives in London, Ontario.

Introduction. The Study and Knowledge of Rowing
Volker Nolte

Part I. The Role of Biological Attributes vs Practice in Rowing Success
Chapter 1. The Genetics of Performance
Paula Jardine

Chapter 2. Biological Maturation
Paula Jardine

Chapter 3. Neurobiology of Rowing
Paula Jardine

Chapter 4. Mileage Makes Champions
Paula Jardine

Part II. Rowing Mechanics for Efficiency and Effective Technique
Chapter 5. Biomechanical Principles for Stroke Efficiency
Volker Nolte

Chapter 6. Optimal Rowing Technique
Volker Nolte

Chapter 7. Biomechanical Principles to Optimize Rowing Performance
Volker Nolte

Chapter 8. Shell Design
Glen Burston and Dan Bechard

Chapter 9. Equipment and Rigging to Individual Anthropometry
Volker Nolte

Part III. Physiology of Rowing
Chapter 10. Overview of Rowing Physiology
Gunnar Treff and Brett Smith

Chapter 11. Rowing Metabolism
Gunnar Treff

Chapter 12. Physiology of Rowing Strength, Speed, and Power
Ed McNeely

Chapter 13. Environmental Stress
Stephen Cheung

Part IV. Practical Issues and Components of Rowing Training
Chapter 14. Principles of Exercise
Brett Smith

Chapter 15. Aerobic and Anaerobic Rowing Conditioning
Brett Smith

Chapter 16. Resistance Training
Ed McNeely

Chapter 17. Cross Training
Ed McNeely

Chapter 18. Distance-Specific Training
Volker Nolte

Part V. Practical Application
Chapter 19. Designing Training Programs
Brett Smith

Chapter 20. Monitoring Training
Brett Smith

Chapter 21. Environmental Countermeasures
Stephen Cheung

Chapter 22. Recovery
Ed McNeely

Chapter 23. Tapering
Ed McNeely

Part VI. Sports Medicine for Rowers
Chapter 24. Principles of Rowing Injuries
Jane Thornton

Chapter 25. Mechanisms and Management of Rowing Injuries
Jane Thornton

Chapter 26. Medical Aspects of Rowing and Special Populations
Jane Thornton

Part VII. Rowing Nutrition
Chapter 27. Fueling Strategies
Susan Boegman

Chapter 28. Optimizing Energy
Susan Boegman

Chapter 29. Supplements
Susan Boegman

Part VIII. Psychology of Rowing
Chapter 30. Motivation and Psychological Skills for Optimal Performance
Penny Werthner

Chapter 31. Building an Effective Team Culture in Rowing
Penny Werthner

Epilogue. The Future of Rowing
Volker Nolte