NUTRITION AND TECHNIQUE

NUTRITION

Training Nutrition

Rowing requires a unique mix of technique, power and endurance. Adolescent rowers have particularly high energy and carbohydrate requirements to support the physical demands of training and growth.

Carbohydrate

Carbohydrate is the body’s preferred fuel for our muscle and brain. Carbohydrate intake before, during and after exercise is important to meet the fuel requirements of exercise and ensure the best recovery (see below). Carbohydrate comes in many forms, but the smart rower will focus on foods containing carbs AND other important nutrients e.g. wholegrain breads and cereals, fruit, starchy vegetables, pasta, rice, milk, yoghurt, custard.

Protein

Adolescent rower’s require extra protein to assist in the repair and recovery process after exercise and ensure optimal growth. Aim for about 2 g protein per kg body weight per day (see table below).

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Eating Before Early Morning Sessions

After an overnight fast (sleeping) liver glycogen (energy) stores are substantially depleted. Therefore, pre training carbohydrate intake is important for maintaining blood glucose levels during training sessions. For example, some fruit and a cereal bar on the way to training along with some water would be a good choice. If tolerating solid food before training is difficult a liquid meal alternative such as Up & Go, smoothie or even a glass of juice can be useful in providing essential carbohydrate. Making up for the smaller carbohydrate intake before exercise by consuming carbohydrate during the training session (eg sports drink) is an important strategy. The rower should experiment to find a routine that works and is comfortable for them.

Recovery Nutrition Strategies – the 4 Rs of Recovery

• Refuelling - To optimise the muscle refuelling process, rowers should include carbohydrate in their next meal or snack- ideally, within 30 minutes after training or racing.

• Rehydrating - Most rowers finish a training or competition session with some level of fluid deficit. Water or a sports drink is an important part of recovery.

• Resisting - The immune system is suppressed by intensive training. This puts young rowers at risk of succumbing to an infectious illness during this time. Consuming carbohydrate during and/or within 30 minutes after training/racing has been shown to reduce the stress on the immune system.

• Repairing and Re-building -  Prolonged and high intensity exercise causes a substantial breakdown of muscle protein. Early intake of foods high in protein can promote muscle rebuilding. Protein consumed within 30 minutes after training (or in the case of resistance training sessions (weights), immediately before the session), is taken up more effectively by the muscle into rebuilding processes. However the protein needs to be consumed with carbohydrate foods to maximise this effect:

  • Nutritious Carbs + Protein Recovery Snacks/Meals

  • 2 cups breakfast cereal with milk. 

  • 1 large cereal bars + 200g fruit flavoured yoghurt

  • 1 bread roll with cheese/meat filling + banana

  • Bowl of fruit salad with 200g fruit yoghurt

  • 2 slices toast or crumpets with peanut butter and 1 cup milk

  • 1 regular milkshake or fruit smoothie.

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Hydration Strategies

Drinking regularly during exercise means rowers can prevent the negative effects associated with dehydration and performance can be improved.

What to Drink?

Research shows that fluid intake is enhanced when beverages are cool, flavoured and contain sodium. This makes sports drinks an ideal choice during exercise. In addition to replacing fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat, sports drink also contains carbohydrate which allows re-fuelling to take place during exercise.  Water is still a suitable option during exercise. However water drinkers need to be aware that water does not stimulate fluid intake to the same extent as sports drinks. Drinking to a plan is therefore crucial when drinking water. Don’t rely on thirst, because if you are thirsty you are already partly dehydrated.

Competition Nutrition

Rowers should go into each race with fluid and fuel stores topped up, and feeling comfortable after their last meal. Generally a meal that provides carbohydrate should be consumed 2-3 hours before a race, eg: breakfast cereal, toast, muffins, sandwiches, yoghurt, fruit. For rowers who struggle to eat before a race, fluids such as Sustagen Sport or flavoured milk might be better tolerated. Rowers need to organise themselves to have appropriate food and fluids available at all times at regattas. Don’t rely on the local canteen or kiosk to meet your racing needs. Take along a supply of your own favourite cereal bars, fluids, fruit –fresh or dried, sandwiches, yoghurt, etc… Remember your fluid needs. You can be dehydrated from your rowing efforts, and just from sitting in the sun.

Supplements

Many sports bars and supplements are available and marketed in such a way that they lead you to think they are superior to regular food. Over-consumption of any sports foods can lead to dietary imbalances as well as being an unnecessary burden on the wallet. Specific sports nutrition advice from a Sports Dietitian will make the rower aware of the best uses of sports supplements, and can help develop nutrition strategies to meet individual goals.

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ROWING TERMINOLOGY

Back chocks: The stops preventing the sliding seat from coming off the back end of the
slide. Rowing on back chocks means the rower does not use the slide – arms only.

Back chocks position: The knees of the rower are hard down, and the rower is not moving the seat on the slide.

Blade: Flattened or spoon-shaped end of oar or scull; often used as term for oar.
Bow: Two meanings:

• The fore-end of the boat

• The rower seated at the fore-end of the boat

Bow ball: Safety ball fitted to sharp stem of racing boat.
Bow side: The right hand (starboard) side of the boat, and all rowers whose oars are
in the water on the right side of the boat when viewed from the stern.
Button: Plastic sheath on oar to prevent it slipping through rowlock; adjustable on

modern oars.

Canvas: The decking fore and aft on a racing boat; in race verdicts, the distance

between the bow ball and the bow man’s seat.
Catch: The part of a stroke when the blade is put in the water.
Clearance: The distance between Stroke’s puddle and Two’s puddle of the previous stroke.

Coxswain (Cox); Steers the boat from the seat in the stern or a lying position in the bow.

Crab: Occurs when the rower fails to get the oar out of the water at the end of the stroke; can result in the rower being ejected from boat to water.
Crew: Rowers who man a boat; American college term for rowing.
Drive: The part of the stroke between catch and finish.
Feather: To turn the blade parallel with the water surface at the start of the recovery

to reduce wind resistance.

Fin: Small flat plate perpendicular to the bottom of the boat to aid steering a straight course.

Finish: The part of the stroke just before and as the blade comes out of the water.
Front chocks: The stops preventing the seat from coming off the aft end of slide as the

rower reaches out to take the catch.

Gate: The hinged rod which locks the oar onto the swivel mounted on the rigger.
Gunwale: Horizontal plank at the top of the hull running the length of the boat.
Hands away: The act of dropping the oar handle at the finish of the stroke so that the blade leaves the water and is feathered at the start of the recovery.
Inboard: The distance between the far end of the handle of an oar or scull and the face of the button. The remainder of the oar is called the outboard.
Length: The length of a boat (i.e. “They won by a length”); The reach of a rower forwards to take each stroke.

Oar (Sweep oar): A lever approximately 12 feet (360 cm) long by which the rower pulls against the rowlock to move the boat through the water.
Pitch: The angle at which the oar sits in the gate (The angle of the blade from the vertical). This is adjustable.
Pontoon (Ways): Floating barge used for launching and retrieval of boats
Puddles: Whirls left in the water caused by the blade as the rower pulls.
Rating: The rate of stroking, or the number of strokes per minute that a crew is rowing.

Recovery: The part of a stroke cycle between the finish and the catch in which the oar is feathered and the seat is returned to the aft end of the slide (Front chocks).

Regatta: A competitive event raced in boats.
Rigger: The metal frame mounted on the side of the boat which supports the swivel and oar, which is placed approximately 7600 mm from the centre of the boat.

Rowlock: A bracket which swivels on the end of the rigger to support the oar. Also called a ‘gate’.

Rudder: Steering device attached vertically to the stern or under the hull of a shell.
Run: The distance a boat travels in one stroke.
Sculling: Using two oars or sculls.
Slide: The rails or tracks upon which the seat travels.
Standard Rig: Uniform alternation of riggers (and therefore oars and rowers) in the boat; the rower in the seat nearest the stern is usually on stroke side.

Stern: The rear or aftermost part of the boat
Stroke: Two meanings:

• The rower who is seated at the rear of the boat and sets the pace at which the crew rows.

• As described above (one completion of the cycle – catch, drive, finish and recovery)

Stroke side: The left hand (port) side of the boat, and all rowers whose oars are in the water on the left side of the boat when viewed from the stern.
Washing out: Occurs when the blade comes out of the water during the pull-through or drive before the finish.