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Alex Oliver
Nutrition&Exercise
ProfessorBell
2 May 2014
Pre-Competition Meal for Rowers
Rowingisa highlycompetitive andintense sport. Itisa sportthat can contribute toan increase
inboth aerobicandanaerobicfitness. Rowersthatcompete in2000 meterraces are considered
sprintersintheirsport. (Shephard,1998) Biological studies have shown thata2000 meterrowingrace is
a 70% aerobicactivity.The ideal rowerisverytall withlarge leanbodymassand a highamountof
aerobicpower.Propernutritionisanecessityinasportas physicallydrainingasrowing. Rowershave a
dietthatis somewhatdifferentfromotherathletes.Theyconsume anexcessiveamountof lipids intheir
diet,whichisnotconsideredideal,butitisnecessaryinprovidingenergytotheir lengthy bodies.Lipids
are storedinthe rower’sbodyand burnedasenergyto keepthe athlete goingstrong (Shephard,1998).
Carbohydratesare alsoa pivotal source of energyforany athlete,includingrowers. (Docheff,2005)
Carbohydratesreleaseglucose intothe bloodstreamata slower rate;therefore arower’ssource of
energy isnotexhaustedsoquickly.Itissaidthatan athlete shouldconsume twotothree gramsof
carbohydratesperpoundof bodyweighttheycarry.Proteinisalsoa necessityforanathlete in keeping
strengthandmass and properproteinconsumptioncanbe done throughone’sdiet. Whenitcomesto
consumingaproteinsupplementtogainan edge incompetition,thisisdeemedunnecessaryif the
athlete ismaintainingaproperdiet.The excessproteinisbelievedtobe turnedintostoredfat (Docheff,
2005). Properhydrationisalsoa necessityinthe sportof rowing.Withoutbeinghydratedand
competingata high intensity,the probabilityof cramps and injuriesgoesupseverely. Thoughthere is

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not a definitiveanswerforhowmanyfluidsanathlete shouldconsume,16-24ouncesof watertwo to
three hourspriorto competing isbelievedtobe an ideal amounttohelpkeepthe athlete’shydration
levelssafelyhigh (Docheff,2005). Impropernutritioncanaffecta rower’sperformance during
competitionjustlikeitcanany otherathlete. (Grandjean,1997) Throughoutcompetitionenergywill be
burnedina form of kilocalories (kcal) bythe athlete orkilojoules (kJ).Tomake sure thatan athlete has
enoughenergy inkJ to sustaintheirbodywhile competingtheyneedtoingestthe properamountof
lipids,proteins,andcarbohydratespriortocompetitiontobe burntoff as energy.Athleteswill require
differentlevelsof these dependingontheirweight (Grandjean,1997). If a rowerfeelsthattheyare not
receivingalarge enoughsource of energythroughlipids,proteins,andcarbohydrates,theymayturnto
ergogenicsupplementssuchascaffeine orcreatine. Caffeine supplementshelpwitharowerinevents
such as the 2000 meterrace andis usuallytakeninanamountof 6-9 mg*kg-1
thirty minutestoan hour
priorto competitiontogive the athlete anextraboost inendurance (Carret al.,2011). For
supplementingcreatine,the athlete wouldalreadyhave beentakingitdays priorto competitionhelp
theirbodyproduce more ATPresultinginmore energyduringcompetition (Kreideretal., 1998). For a
rowerto make sure that theyare properlyhydratingandsupplyingenoughenergytotheirbodythrough
theirnutritional dietis atediousprocess,butisnecessaryforthemtocompete at peakperformance on
the day of competition.
As statedearlierrowersconsume alarge amountof lipidsintheirdiet. Healthyfatsdonotcome
fromfast-foodrestaurantssuchasMcDonald’sor BurgerKing,butrather fromfoodssuch as nutsand
oils. Consuminglipidsdoesmultiplethingsforarower.(Ranchordas,2012) Lipids are crucial for energy
storage and utilization, they alsohelpprovideessentialelementsof cell membranes,andhelpanathlete
withhormone productionandare alsorequiredtostore fat-soluble vitamins.There isevidence that
provesconsuminghighamountsof lipids,uptoas highas 65% of total nutritional energy,inanathlete’s
dietforup to five dayscan helpenhance fat oxidation (Ranchordas,2012). Thoughrowersconsume a

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highamountof fatsin theirdiet,theyshouldbe careful toregulate it. Skeletal musclecanstore close to
the energyequivalentof glycogeninthe formof intramusculartriacylglyceride made fromthe lipidsthe
bodyhas ingested.Buthighfatintakesmayaffectmuscle glycogenrecoveryandmuscle tissue repair
because itwill startto displace the balance betweenthe amountsof lipids,carbohydratesandproteins
inthe body(Stellingwerff,2011).Lipidsare one of the three mainnutritional sourcesof energyfora
rowerpriorto competition.
Carbohydratesare anotherone of the mainsourcesfor energyina competitive rower’sdiet.
Theyare alsothe mainsource of energyfoundinall foods. While incompetition muscle glycogen
storagesare usedupas energy (Slaterand Philips,2011).The amountdepletedwill dependonhow
intense the athleteisworkingtoclaimvictoryduringthe competition. Asstatedearlier,carbohydrates
release glucose intothe bloodstreamata slowerrate;therefore arower’ssource of energyisnot
exhaustedsoquickly (Docheff,2005).If a rowerplansto eat a highcarbohydrate meal the dayof
competing,itshouldbe done 3-4hours before whichwillhelptominimizegastricdistress,nausea,
vomiting,cramps,andsluggishness(Cotugna etal.,2005). Researchdone bySlaterandPhillipsshows
that an athlete shouldingest1g*kg-1
rightbefore competition. SlaterandPhillipsalsorecently found,
athleteshave beencombiningaminoacidswithcarbohydratesinanattempttoincrease substrate
availabilityandtheirperformancewhile competing. Since carbohydratesare sucha major formof
energy,arowingathlete maytry the well-knownpractice of “carb loading”the nightbefore a
competition.Thisiswhere anathlete eatsameal veryhighincarbohydrates,suchaspasta or any form
of foodthathas starch in itthat can be brokendownslowlyforenergy.Justlike anyotherathlete,an
individualparticipatingina2000 meterrowing race needs alarge source of energytosustaintheirbody
to the finishline.

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The third source of energya rowergainsthroughtheirnutritional dietisprotein.Proteinisone
of the mostwell-knownsourcesof energydue toitspopularityinbeingconsumedtoaidan athlete in
recoveryafterphysical activity. A lotof athletesgettheirdailyneedof proteinthroughtheirdiet
throughmeatand dairyproducts,but some alsogetextraproteinthroughsupplementssuchaswhey
protein,caseinprotein,proteinpowder,andproteinbars.Notmanyathletesthinkaboutconsuming
proteinpriorto competition,butitishelpful ingaininganextrasource of energy. (Cotugnaetal., 2005)
Proteinisimportantinhelpingthe bodyproduce hormonesandenzymes,assistwithnutrienttransfer
throughthe blood,the strengtheningof connectivetissue,andhelpsrepairtissue thathasbeenworn
downthroughexercise. The dailyintake of proteinthroughthe dietshouldbe 1.2-2.0grams per
kilogramof bodyweight.Proteinsynthesiscanonlygoso far inthe body,so itis believedthatingesting
more than thisamountof proteinisunnecessary.Toomuchintake of proteincanleadto an athlete
producingextraurea,leadtodehydration,orlossof calcium (Cotugnaet al.,2005). More researchis
neededtounderstandwhenanathlete shouldtake proteinbeforecompetitiontorelease the energy
fromit properly,especiallyforthatof a rower. Yet, itis believedthatarowertakingproteinpriorto
competitionalongwithcarbohydratesiscrucial tomaximize the anabolicresponsefromtheirbody
(Stellingwerffetal.,2011). Proteintakencorrectlyalongwithcarbohydratesandlipidscangive rowers
the nutritional edge thattheyneedtocompete attheirmaximumlevel of effortonthe daysthat it
mattersmost.
Making sure that a roweristakingthe propernutritional amountof protein,carbohydrates,and
lipidstobe successful isimportant,butwithoutproperhydrationitmeansnothing. Beingdehydrated
can leadthe athlete tofeelingsluggish,aswell asmake themsusceptible toinjurysuchascramping,
tearingor pullingamuscle,orevenleadtopassingout. (Cotugnaet al.,2005) Sweatingthroughout
performance isthe body’swayof coolingdown tokeepa homeostaticinternaltemperature.Thisleads
to a lossof waterand electrolytesfromthe athlete,andbringsthemcloserandclosertodehydration.A

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rowershoulddrink80-96 ouncesof waterper dayto maintainproperhydration.Leadinguptothe start
of competition,arowershoulddrink16-24 ouncesof fluidtwotothree hoursbefore inanattemptto
prepare forthe lossof liquidthroughsweat.Afterarowerhas completedtheirrace,he/sheshould
consume 16-24 ouncesof fluidperpoundof bodyweightlost.Thiswill helpthe rowergetbackto
properlevelsof hydration,andtoward off possible cramps (Cotugnaetal.,2005). An easierwayto
make sure an athlete isdrinkingfluidsisbygivingthemaflavoreddrinksuchasa Gatorade or
Powerade.Thiswillleadthemtoenjoy the processof hydratingmore due tothe goodtaste of the
beverage,andalsohelpthemtoretainelectrolytessuchassodiumandpotassiumwhichare lostin
sweatduringcompetition.Properhydrationiscrucial foreveryathlete,includingrowerstoperform
theirbestincompetition.
Anotherwaythat a rowercan gain a competitive edge inperformance isbysupplementingtheir
bodywithcaffeine inclose proximitytothe time of racing. Caffeine canhelpathleteswithburstsof
energyineventssuchasthe 2000 metersprintrace in rowing.Thisrace requiresthe athlete torow
continuouslywithintense effortata highpercentage of VO2max for6-8 minutes,dependingonhowfast
theycan finishthe race.Caffeine canassistinergogeniceffectssuchasbetterendurance anda higher
intensityof exercise performance (Carr etal., 2011). Supplementingwithcaffeine canhelparower
spare usingtheirmuscle glycogensource of energywithinthe musclesforupto 15 minutes.Thisisdone
by the caffeine increasing fatoxidationtobe usedasthe primarysource of energyinstead.Research
done by (Bruce et al.,2000) foundthatthe use of a caffeine supplementwithamoderate dose
relationshipof 6 mg*kg-1
alsoledto a fasterperformance time forrowers.InBruce’s study,the rowers
that supplementedwithcaffeinepriortothe 2000 meterrace improvedintheirtimedperformance
1.3% comparedto those whotook the placebo.The onlysocalledside-effectfromthe studywasthat
the individualswhotookcaffeine before the race hada higherconcentrationof caffeineintheirurine,
especiallythose whotook 9mg*kg-1
comparedto6 mg*kg-1
(Bruce et al.,2000). Supplementingwith

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caffeine canalsoreduce the rate to perceivedexertionduringcompletionaswell aspainperceptionand
post-exercise exhaustion(Carret al.,2011). A rowercouldalso gaina competitive edge by
supplementingwithcreatine overa28 day cycle at a dose of 15.75 g*d-1
and ingestingitpriorto
competitiontohelphis/herbodyproduce more ATPforenergyproduction,allowingforamore efficient
sprintperformance inthe 2000 meterrace (Kreider etal.,1998). Though if the rowerisusingcreatine
theymustmake sure tokeephydrationlevelshighasnotto cramp duringphysical activity. Some may
believeusingsupplementssuchascaffeine orcreatine toimprove performance isunethical orcheating,
but the use of both are legal andto use themisa personal choice bythe athlete andcan helpimprove
theirperformance.Whenthe goal istoclaimvictory,some extrastepsmayhave to be takento ensure
it.
In conclusion,the nutritional dietforarowerto prepare to compete in a 2000 metersprintis
not muchdifferentfromthe nutritionof sprintersinothersports.The onlymaindifference isthe fact
that theyconsume a higheramountof fatsfor energyoutput(Shephard,1998).Rowersstill consume
carbohydrates andproteinforenergyaswell tohelpfuel them tothe finishline.Carbohydratesfora
rowershouldbe consumedinthe amountof 1 g*kg-1
immediatelypriortocompetitionalongwith
protein(amountyettobe determinedthroughresearch) tohelpsupplytheirbodywithenergy
throughoutthe race (SlaterandPhilips,2011).If gainingenergyfromthese three natural sourcesis
deemed notenoughbythe rowertobe successful,he/she canturnto usingergogenicsupplementssuch
as caffeine andcreatine.The caffeine should be taken close tothe time of the race to ensure that it
helpsthe roweruse fatoxidationforenergybeforethe bodyusesmuscle glycogen,withthe most
optimal dose being6mg*kg-1
(Bruce et al.,2000). If the roweris planningtotake creatine toenhance
performance,itisbesttocycle it for 28 days witha dose of 15.75 g*d-1
,as well astake it close to the
time leadingupto theirrace (Kreideretal.,1998). In a rowertakingall these actionspriorto
competitiontobringaboutthe bestchance for victory,theymustalsobe consciousto drinkenough

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fluidsandstayproperlyhydrated. A rowershouldtake in 16-24 ouncesof fluidtwotothree hours
before theirrace,aswell asmake sure theydrink80-96 ouncesof waterper dayto maintainadequate
hydration levelsinanattempt to wardoff the threat of injury(Cotugna etal., 2005). Beingtediousin
consumingall these levelsof nutritionalvalue priortocompetitioniswhatshall give the rowerthe best
chance to claimvictory.Performingatpeakperformance onrace day all begins withpropernutrition
and hydration.
Literature Cited
Bruce,C. R., Anderson,M.E., Fraser,S.F., Stepto,N.K.,Klein,R.,Hopkins,W.G.,& Hawley,J.A. (2000).
Enhancementof 2000-m rowingperformance aftercaffeineingestion. Medicineand sciencein
sportsand exercise, 32(11), 1958-1963.
Carr, A. J.,Gore,C. J., & Dawson,B. (2011). Inducedalkalosisandcaffeine supplementation:effectson
2,000-m rowingperformance. InternationalJournalof SportNutrition &Exercise
Metabolism,21(5).
Cotugna, N.,Vickery,C.E.,& McBee,S. (2005). Sports NutritionforYoungAthletes. Journalof School
Nursing,21(6),323-328.
Docheff, D.,Mandali,S.,& Conn,J. (2005). Coaches,AthletesandNutrition:Foodfor
Thought. Strategies,18(4), 9-11.
Grandjean, A. C. (1997). Dietsof elite athletes:hasthe discipline of sportsnutritionmade an
impact?. The Journalof nutrition, 127(5), 874S-877S.

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Kreider,R.B.,Ferreira,M.,Wilson,M., Grindstaff,P.,Plisk,S.,Reinardy,J., Almada,A.L.(1998). Effects
of creatine supplementationonbodycomposition,strength,andsprintperformance. Medicine
and science in sportsand exercise, 30, 73-82.
Ranchordas,M. K. (2012). Nutritionforadventure racing. Sportsmedicine,42(11),915-927.
Shephard,R.J. (1998). Science andmedicine of rowing:areview. Journalof SportsSciences, 16(7),603-
620.
Slater,G.,& Phillips,S.M.(2011). Nutritionguidelinesforstrengthsports:sprinting,weightlifting,
throwingevents,andbodybuilding. Journalof sportssciences,29(1), S67-S77.
Stellingwerff,T.,Maughan,R.J.,& Burke,L. M. (2011). Nutritionforpowersports:middle-distance
running,trackcycling,rowing,canoeing/kayaking,andswimming. Journalof sports
sciences, 29(1), S79-S89.