Damper setting and output

[Cjkimber]

My question is regarding the final reading of the measured factors in relation to the damper setting. Hypothetically speaking, if I rowed the exact same speed for the forward and backward phase (not sure of correct terminology) on two separate workouts of a set time with different damper settings, would the meters rowed & calories burned be higher on the higher damper setting session compared the to the lower damper session?

Thanks

Chris (newbie)

[jamesg]

Probably, if you can do it. Try pulling 30 minutes at various settings, and see how it goes. The work done at each sitting is average Watts x time aboard in hours; the result is in Wh.

This is easily converted to kCal if you wish: our efficiency as heat cells is about 1/4, and conversion Wh to kCal is 0.86; so if you row 1/2 hour at 200W, 100 Wh = 100*4*0.86 = 345 kCal.

I usually work at drag factor 80 and about 130W for under 30 minutes; so I produce about 60Wh and burn say 200 kCal, which is too small to be of any interest. Keeps me reasonably fit tho', if I do it often enough.

[hjs]

My question is regarding the final reading of the measured factors in relation to the damper setting. Hypothetically speaking, if I rowed the exact same speed for the forward and backward phase (not sure of correct terminology) on two separate workouts of a set time with different damper settings, would the meters rowed & calories burned be higher on the higher damper setting session compared the to the lower damper session?

Thanks

Chris (newbie)

Yes, but you won,t, set the drag low and high and feel the difference, at high the stroke will feel much havier and the movement will be slower.
Its a bit like cycling, use the setting that feels best. Thats often not the highest, nor the lowest.

[maestroak]

Need to more carefully defined the question. You say if you row the same "speed." Typically speed would be what we'd call pace and measured in distance per time (typically minutes per 500m). But if that's what you're talking about, then your question doesn't make sense because you ask if the total meters will be the same over a fixed time, which will necessarily be true. If by speed you mean strokes per minute, then the answer would most likely be no.

-Steve

[turboskiff]

Your question is a bit ambiguous. The ergo[meter] measures work. As James says, the only metrics that matter are watts and duration.

Drive and recovery time don't tell us very much*. On the erg you can row the same 500m split at an infinite combination of drag factors, stroke rates and drive times.

Changing the DF tends to change where in the stroke the work gets done but not necessarily the amount of work. At lower DF the stroke is front loaded and the flywheel is accelerated quickly compared to the more gradual acceleration associated with higher DFs.

*Obviously no work is done during recovery but the drive:recovery ratio is an important OTW metric that is largely ignored in erging.

[Bob S.]

google these sites:
Damper Setting 101 | Concept2
Viewing Drag Factor - Concept2