Introduction
Ocean rowing is an extreme ultraendurance sport in which athletes push themselves
to their mental and physical limits while rowing across an ocean. Limited academic
attention has meant health issues facing this population are poorly understood. This
report provides a descriptive analysis of the injuries and illnesses encountered by
ocean rowers at sea and suggests potential preventative measures.
Methods
Retrospective self-reported data were collected from ocean rowers via an online 29-question
survey, classified by medical system, and totaled to produce a report of the most
frequently encountered symptoms.
Results
Seventy-one ocean rowers, accounting for 86 ocean rowing attempts, completed the survey.
Dermatologic symptoms formed 52% (n=169) of all reported issues, followed by musculoskeletal
injuries (14%; n=45), mental health symptoms (11%; n=36), gastrointestinal symptoms
(5%; n=16), and neurologic symptoms (2%). Gluteal pressure sores were the most common
dermatologic symptoms (24%; n=40), hallucinations the most common mental health symptoms
(69%; n=25), hand and finger issues the most reported musculoskeletal problems (36%;
n=16); vomiting (38%) and headaches (50%) were the most common gastrointestinal and
neurologic issues, respectively. Seasickness was reported in 42% of expeditions (n=33).
Conclusions
This report presents the physiological, mental, and medical challenges facing ocean
rowers. Dermatologic and musculoskeletal issues were most common and varied greatly
in severity. Over 90% of reported infections occurred as a dermatologic complaint,
demonstrating the importance of preventative measures such as hygiene and wound care.
Continued work with a larger population is required to further understand the physiological
stress and medical complaints associated with transoceanic rowing.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 05, 2022
Accepted:
November 17,
2021
Received:
April 8,
2021
Identification
Copyright
©2021 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
