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Alex Oliver

Nutrition & Exercise

Professor Bell

2 May 2014

Pre-Competition Meal for Rowers

Rowing is a highly competitive and intense sport. It is a sport that can contribute to an increase

in both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Rowers that compete in 2000 meter races are considered

sprinters in their sport. (Shephard, 1998) Biological studies have shown that a 2000 meter rowing race is

a 70% aerobic activity. The ideal rower is very tall with large lean body mass and a high amount of

aerobic power. Proper nutrition is a necessity in a sport as physically draining as rowing. Rowers have a

diet that is somewhat different from other athletes. They consume an excessive amount of lipids in their

diet, which is not considered ideal, but it is necessary in providing energy to their lengthy bodies. Lipids

are stored in the rower’s body and burned as energy to keep the athlete going strong (Shephard, 1998).

Carbohydrates are also a pivotal source of energy for any athlete, including rowers. (Docheff, 2005)

Carbohydrates release glucose into the bloodstream at a slower rate; therefore a rower’s source of

energy is not exhausted so quickly. It is said that an athlete should consume two to three grams of

carbohydrates per pound of body weight they carry. Protein is also a necessity for an athlete in keeping

strength and mass and proper protein consumption can be done through one’s diet. When it comes to

consuming a protein supplement to gain an edge in competition, this is deemed unnecessary if the

athlete is maintaining a proper diet. The excess protein is believed to be turned into stored fat (Docheff,

2005). Proper hydration is also a necessity in the sport of rowing. Without being hydrated and

competing at a high intensity, the probability of cramps and injuries goes up severely. Though there is

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not a definitive answer for how many fluids an athlete should consume, 16-24 ounces of water two to

three hours prior to competing is believed to be an ideal amount to help keep the athlete’s hydration

levels safely high (Docheff, 2005). Improper nutrition can affect a rower’s performance during

competition just like it can any other athlete. (Grandjean, 1997) Throughout competition energy will be

burned in a form of kilo calories (kcal) by the athlete or kilo joules (kJ). To make sure that an athlete has

enough energy in kJ to sustain their body while competing they need to ingest the proper amount of

lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates prior to competition to be burnt off as energy. Athletes will require

different levels of these depending on their weight (Grandjean, 1997). If a rower feels that they are not

receiving a large enough source of energy through lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates, they may turn to

ergogenic supplements such as caffeine or creatine. Caffeine supplements help with a rower in events

such as the 2000 meter race and is usually taken in an amount of 6-9 mg*kg-1 thirty minutes to an hour

prior to competition to give the athlete an extra boost in endurance (Carr et al., 2011). For

supplementing creatine, the athlete would already have been taking it days prior to competition help

their body produce more ATP resulting in more energy during competition (Kreider et al., 1998). For a

rower to make sure that they are properly hydrating and supplying enough energy to their body through

their nutritional diet is a tedious process, but is necessary for them to compete at peak performance on

the day of competition.

As stated earlier rowers consume a large amount of lipids in their diet. Healthy fats do not come

from fast-food restaurants such as McDonald’s or Burger King, but rather from foods such as nuts and

oils. Consuming lipids does multiple things for a rower. (Ranchordas, 2012) Lipids are crucial for energy

storage and utilization, they also help provide essential elements of cell membranes, and help an athlete

with hormone production and are also required to store fat-soluble vitamins. There is evidence that

proves consuming high amounts of lipids, up to as high as 65% of total nutritional energy, in an athlete’s

diet for up to five days can help enhance fat oxidation (Ranchordas, 2012). Though rowers consume a

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high amount of fats in their diet, they should be careful to regulate it. Skeletal muscle can store close to

the energy equivalent of glycogen in the form of intramuscular triacylglyceride made from the lipids the

body has ingested. But high fat intakes may affect muscle glycogen recovery and muscle tissue repair

because it will start to displace the balance between the amounts of lipids, carbohydrates and proteins

in the body (Stellingwerff, 2011). Lipids are one of the three main nutritional sources of energy for a

rower prior to competition.

Carbohydrates are another one of the main sources for energy in a competitive rower’s diet.

They are also the main source of energy found in all foods. While in competition muscle glycogen

storages are used up as energy (Slater and Philips, 2011). The amount depleted will depend on how

intense the athlete is working to claim victory during the competition. As stated earlier, carbohydrates

release glucose into the bloodstream at a slower rate; therefore a rower’s source of energy is not

exhausted so quickly (Docheff, 2005). If a rower plans to eat a high carbohydrate meal the day of

competing, it should be done 3-4 hours before which will help to minimize gastric distress, nausea,

vomiting, cramps, and sluggishness (Cotugna et al., 2005). Research done by Slater and Phillips shows

that an athlete should ingest 1 g*kg-1 right before competition. Slater and Phillips also recently found,

athletes have been combining amino acids with carbohydrates in an attempt to increase substrate

availability and their performance while competing. Since carbohydrates are such a major form of

energy, a rowing athlete may try the well-known practice of “carb loading” the night before a

competition. This is where an athlete eats a meal very high in carbohydrates, such as pasta or any form

of food that has starch in it that can be broken down slowly for energy. Just like any other athlete, an

individual participating in a 2000 meter rowing race needs a large source of energy to sustain their body

to the finish line.

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The third source of energy a rower gains through their nutritional diet is protein. Protein is one

of the most well-known sources of energy due to its popularity in being consumed to aid an athlete in

recovery after physical activity. A lot of athletes get their daily need of protein through their diet

through meat and dairy products, but some also get extra protein through supplements such as whey

protein, casein protein, protein powder, and protein bars. Not many athletes think about consuming

protein prior to competition, but it is helpful in gaining an extra source of energy. (Cotugna et al., 2005)

Protein is important in helping the body produce hormones and enzymes, assist with nutrient transfer

through the blood, the strengthening of connective tissue, and helps repair tissue that has been worn

down through exercise. The daily intake of protein through the diet should be 1.2-2.0 grams per

kilogram of body weight. Protein synthesis can only go so far in the body, so it is believed that ingesting

more than this amount of protein is unnecessary. Too much intake of protein can lead to an athlete

producing extra urea, lead to dehydration, or loss of calcium (Cotugna et al., 2005). More research is

needed to understand when an athlete should take protein before competition to release the energy

from it properly, especially for that of a rower. Yet, it is believed that a rower taking protein prior to

competition along with carbohydrates is crucial to maximize the anabolic response from their body

(Stellingwerff et al., 2011). Protein taken correctly along with carbohydrates and lipids can give rowers

the nutritional edge that they need to compete at their maximum level of effort on the days that it

matters most.

Making sure that a rower is taking the proper nutritional amount of protein, carbohydrates, and

lipids to be successful is important, but without proper hydration it means nothing. Being dehydrated

can lead the athlete to feeling sluggish, as well as make them susceptible to injury such as cramping,

tearing or pulling a muscle, or even lead to passing out. (Cotugna et al., 2005) Sweating throughout

performance is the body’s way of cooling down to keep a homeostatic internal temperature. This leads

to a loss of water and electrolytes from the athlete, and brings them closer and closer to dehydration. A

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rower should drink 80-96 ounces of water per day to maintain proper hydration. Leading up to the start

of competition, a rower should drink 16-24 ounces of fluid two to three hours before in an attempt to

prepare for the loss of liquid through sweat. After a rower has completed their race, he/she should

consume 16-24 ounces of fluid per pound of body weight lost. This will help the rower get back to

proper levels of hydration, and to ward off possible cramps (Cotugna et al., 2005). An easier way to

make sure an athlete is drinking fluids is by giving them a flavored drink such as a Gatorade or

Powerade. This will lead them to enjoy the process of hydrating more due to the good taste of the

beverage, and also help them to retain electrolytes such as sodium and potassium which are lost in

sweat during competition. Proper hydration is crucial for every athlete, including rowers to perform

their best in competition.

Another way that a rower can gain a competitive edge in performance is by supplementing their

body with caffeine in close proximity to the time of racing. Caffeine can help athletes with bursts of

energy in events such as the 2000 meter sprint race in rowing. This race requires the athlete to row

continuously with intense effort at a high percentage of VO2max for 6-8 minutes, depending on how fast

they can finish the race. Caffeine can assist in ergogenic effects such as better endurance and a higher

intensity of exercise performance (Carr et al., 2011). Supplementing with caffeine can help a rower spare

using their muscle glycogen source of energy within the muscles for up to 15 minutes. This is done by

the caffeine increasing fat oxidation to be used as the primary source of energy instead. Research done

by (Bruce et al., 2000) found that the use of a caffeine supplement with a moderate dose relationship of

6 mg*kg-1 also led to a faster performance time for rowers. In Bruce’s study, the rowers that

supplemented with caffeine prior to the 2000 meter race improved in their timed performance 1.3%

compared to those who took the placebo. The only so called side-effect from the study was that the

individuals who took caffeine before the race had a higher concentration of caffeine in their urine,

especially those who took 9 mg*kg-1 compared to 6 mg*kg-1 (Bruce et al., 2000). Supplementing with

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caffeine can also reduce the rate to perceived exertion during completion as well as pain perception and

post-exercise exhaustion (Carr et al., 2011). A rower could also gain a competitive edge by

supplementing with creatine over a 28 day cycle at a dose of 15.75 g*d-1 and ingesting it prior to

competition to help his/her body produce more ATP for energy production, allowing for a more efficient

sprint performance in the 2000 meter race (Kreider et al., 1998). Though if the rower is using creatine

they must make sure to keep hydration levels high as not to cramp during physical activity. Some may

believe using supplements such as caffeine or creatine to improve performance is unethical or cheating,

but the use of both are legal and to use them is a personal choice by the athlete and can help improve

their performance. When the goal is to claim victory, some extra steps may have to be taken to ensure

it.

In conclusion, the nutritional diet for a rower to prepare to compete in a 2000 meter sprint is

not much different from the nutrition of sprinters in other sports. The only main difference is the fact

that they consume a higher amount of fats for energy output (Shephard, 1998). Rowers still consume

carbohydrates and protein for energy as well to help fuel them to the finish line. Carbohydrates for a

rower should be consumed in the amount of 1 g*kg-1 immediately prior to competition along with

protein (amount yet to be determined through research) to help supply their body with energy

throughout the race (Slater and Philips, 2011). If gaining energy from these three natural sources is

deemed not enough by the rower to be successful, he/she can turn to using ergogenic supplements such

as caffeine and creatine. The caffeine should be taken close to the time of the race to ensure that it

helps the rower use fat oxidation for energy before the body uses muscle glycogen, with the most

optimal dose being 6 mg*kg-1 (Bruce et al., 2000). If the rower is planning to take creatine to enhance

performance, it is best to cycle it for 28 days with a dose of 15.75 g*d-1, as well as take it close to the

time leading up to their race (Kreider et al., 1998). In a rower taking all these actions prior to

competition to bring about the best chance for victory, they must also be conscious to drink enough

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fluids and stay properly hydrated. A rower should take in 16-24 ounces of fluid two to three hours

before their race, as well as make sure they drink 80-96 ounces of water per day to maintain adequate

hydration levels in an attempt to ward off the threat of injury (Cotugna et al., 2005). Being tedious in

consuming all these levels of nutritional value prior to competition is what shall give the rower the best

chance to claim victory. Performing at peak performance on race day all begins with proper nutrition

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).

Enhancement of 2000-m rowing performance after caffeine ingestion. Medicine and science in

sports and exercise, 32(11), 1958-1963.

Carr, A. J., Gore, C. J., & Dawson, B. (2011). Induced alkalosis and caffeine supplementation: effects on

2,000-m rowing performance. International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise

Metabolism, 21(5).

Cotugna, N., Vickery, C. E., & McBee, S. (2005). Sports Nutrition for Young Athletes. Journal of School

Nursing, 21(6), 323-328.

Docheff, D., Mandali, S., & Conn, J. (2005). Coaches, Athletes and Nutrition: Food for

Thought. Strategies, 18(4), 9-11.

Grandjean, A. C. (1997). Diets of elite athletes: has the discipline of sports nutrition made an

impact?. The Journal of 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 supplementation on body composition, strength, and sprint performance. Medicine

and science in sports and exercise, 30, 73-82.

Ranchordas, M. K. (2012). Nutrition for adventure racing. Sports medicine, 42(11), 915-927.

Shephard, R. J. (1998). Science and medicine of rowing: a review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 16(7), 603-

620.

Slater, G., & Phillips, S. M. (2011). Nutrition guidelines for strength sports: sprinting, weightlifting,

throwing events, and bodybuilding. Journal of sports sciences, 29(1), S67-S77.

Stellingwerff, T., Maughan, R. J., & Burke, L. M. (2011). Nutrition for power sports: middle-distance

running, track cycling, rowing, canoeing/kayaking, and swimming. Journal of sports

sciences, 29(1), S79-S89.