Rowing and Health Outcomes Across Diverse Populations: Scoping Review with ☸️SAIMSARA

Name: SAIMSARA Evidence Object sport::ROWING_PM
Creator: SAIMSARA
License: https://saimsara.com/license/

SAIMSARA

doi:10.62487/saimsara07e15486

SAIMSARA Journal

Machine-Readable Science • ISSN 3054-3991

Rowing and Health Outcomes Across Diverse Populations: Scoping Review with ☸️SAIMSARA

Sports Medicine

Issue 5, Volume 1, 2026

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DOI: 10.62487/saimsara07e15486

Editorial note

• Last update: 2026-06-20 22:51:15

What is this paper about

Rowing offers far more than cardiovascular fitness: the evidence links it to lower mortality, improved metabolic health, rehabilitation benefits, and meaningful gains across diverse clinical populations. The full review reveals where rowing delivers the strongest health advantages, which risks clinicians and athletes should not overlook, and how the evidence can guide safer, more effective training.

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Video summary generated from this ☸️SAIMSARA evidence map. Full reference-linked paper and evidence JSON are available after purchase.

Abstract: To map the existing evidence on the health effects of rowing across diverse populations, including healthy individuals, athletes, and clinical cohorts, by synthesizing findings on mortality, chronic disease risk, injury patterns, physiological adaptations, and psychosocial outcomes. The review uses 88 references and builds its evidence map from 129 original studies with 397842 total participants/sample observations (topic-deduplicated ΣN). This scoping review indicates that habitual rowing is consistently associated with meaningful health benefits, most prominently reduced mortality and improved cardiometabolic fitness across varied populations. The strongest recurrent signal links regular rowing to lower all-cause mortality, with one large cohort reporting a 14% reduction, alongside an 18% lower coronary heart disease risk and rowing-based interval training raising peak oxygen uptake in clinical groups. Beyond cardiovascular gains, the evidence supports a role for adapted rowing, including functional electrical stimulation protocols, in rehabilitation for spinal cord injury, cancer survivorship, and older or frail adults, while also flagging real risks such as bone stress injury, energy deficiency, and waterborne illness. These findings suggest rowing is a versatile, low-injury modality worth prescribing, though most supporting studies are small and heterogeneous. Future adequately powered trials with standardized outcomes are needed to confirm benefits and define optimal protocols within specific populations.
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Keywords: rowing ergometry; all-cause mortality; ultraendurance ocean rowing; dermatological conditions; musculoskeletal injury; relative energy deficiency in sport; bone mineral density; insulin sensitivity; mental health; breast cancer rehabilitation

Review Stats

Final search date and database lock: 2026-06-07 13:20:53 CEST
Plan: Pro (expanded craft tokens; source: PubMed)
Source: PubMed
Total Abstracts/Papers: 189
Downloaded Abstracts/Papers: 189
Included original and non-original Abstracts/Papers (all): 173
Included original Abstracts/Papers (Vote counting by direction of effect): 129
Reference Index (links used in paper): 88
Total participants/sample observations (topic deduplicated ΣN): 397842

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Reference Index (88)

[1] The physiology of rowing with perspective on training and health. — https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04429-y
[2] Physical activity types, variety, and mortality: results from two prospective cohort studies. — https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjmed-2025-001513
[3] Athlete health and safety in rowing: editorial by the FISA (rowing) Sports Medicine Commission. — https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2014-094247
[4] Common health issues and advised treatments reported in an ultraendurance ocean rowing race. — https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2021-001120
[5] The relationship between rowing-related low back pain and rowing biomechanics: a systematic review. — https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2020-102533
[6] The Intensity of the Health Behaviors of People Who Practice Wheelchair Basketball, Wheelchair Rugby and Para-Rowing. — https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19137879
[7] Nutrition and Supplements for Elite Open-Weight Rowing. — https://doi.org/10.1249/jsr.0000000000000281
[8] Short-Term High-Intensity Rowing Ergometry Training Improves Rowing Performance Equally in Healthy Weight and Obese Adolescents. — https://doi.org/10.1249/mss.0000000000003366

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