Dragon Boat is an activity that requires a participation of a large amount of muscles. The muscle groups involved are in order of involvement: the dorsal and abdominal muscles, biceps and triceps in the upper limbs and femoral quadriceps and gastrocnemius in the lower limbs. The athlete’s muscle building is based on strengthening exercises with weight lifting that involves both upper and lower limbs, with a particular attention to the heart. The paddle position, the rotation and the twisting of the body is taken into account. Racing and boat outings are integrated into the preparation. However the paddling technique exercises have the limitation of being unilateral and therefore with the theoretical possibility of asymmetric muscle development on the side chose for paddling.
Loddo, Stefano; Vescovi, Marco M.D.; Bruttini, Flavia M.D.; Nakou, Ioanna M.D.; Segagni, Mario; Benzo, Serena M.D.; and Vescovi, Monica M.D.
"Ergometer and Dragon Boat,"
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 5:
2, Article 15.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wku.edu/ijesab/vol5/iss2/15