Upper limb aerobic training improves aerobic fitness and all-out performance of America's Cup grinders

This research on "America's Cup" grinders investigated the effects of a specific eight-week long-arm cranking ergometer (ACE) training on upper body (UB) aerobic fitness (ventilatory threshold - Tvent, respiratory compensation point- RCP, -oxygen uptake peak - [GRAPHICS] O-2peak) and high intensity working capacity. The training consisted of sessions carried out for 20-30 mins, three times per week, at an intensity between the UB-Tvent and UB-RCP, and replaced part of a typical lower limb aerobic training whilst maintaining the usual weekly schedule of callisthenics, resistance training and sailing. Seven sailors, including four grinders and three mastmen (age 30 +/- 5.5 years, height 1.9 +/- 0.04 m, body mass 102 +/- 3.6 kg), were evaluated through both an ACE cardiopulmonary maximal exercise test (CPET) and an ACE all-out up to exhaustion exercise test, before and after the ACE training. UB aerobic fitness improved significantly: UB- [GRAPHICS] O-2peak increased from 4.29 +/- 0.442 to 4.52 +/- 0.522 l center dot min(-1) (6.4 +/- 3.66%), [GRAPHICS] O-2 at UB-Tvent from 2.42 +/- 0.282 to 2.97 +/- 0.328 l center dot min(-1) (22.8 +/- 5.09%) and [GRAPHICS] O-2 at UB-RCP from 3.25 +/- 0.402 to 3.75 +/- 0.352 l center dot min(-1) (16.1 +/- 10.83%). Peak power at the ACE CPET increased from 351 +/- 27.5 to 387 +/- 33.5 W (10.5 +/- 6.93%). The all-out test total mechanical work increased from 28.9 +/- 2.35 to 40.1 +/- 3.76 kJ (72.1 +/- 4.67%). In conclusion, a high intensity aerobic ACE training can be effective in improving grinding performance by increasing UB aerobic fitness and all-out working capacity.