Nutrition Information

General Information on Food

“Since my teen started rowing I can’t keep any food in the house.” A familiar and not surprising parent remark, not surprising given the amount of calories burned during a rowing workout. You should expect your rower to be hungry, really hungry when they get off the water. Feeding them 120-240 calories within half an hour, and then a similar amount every two hours until they go to bed will help them recover and be ready for the next day, both as a student and as an athlete.

A rower’s diet is very similar to that of your average adolescent, with one critical exception: carbohydrates. Rowers need more carbohydrates. The energy a rower uses primarily comes from carbohydrate stored in the muscles as glycogen. The carbohydrate level in the muscle must be restored before the next practice in order for the athlete to “recover” and be ready to work hard again. If the levels are not restored, the athlete remains fatigued and training is not effective. If the problem persists, they will not be able to race well.

While recommendations for the general population suggest that calories be split so that 60% comes from carbohydrates, 20% from fats, and 20% from proteins, for athletes the recommendation is that 65% come from carbohydrates, 15% from fats, and 20% from proteins, reflecting the greater carbohydrate needs.

Success in rowing depends on the power the rower is able to generate and then transmit effectively to the oar to move the boat. Power is generated by the muscles. Effective transmission of that power to the oar depends on proper technique. Rowing practices seek to improve technique and increase the size and strength of the muscles used in rowing. Proper nutrition is very important for supporting muscular development during training. In general, nutritional supplements beyond a multi-vitamin (with iron for female athletes who are at greater risk for iron deficiency) are not necessary, and may even be harmful (more on this in the next section). A balanced diet includes a variety of foods from each food group.

Food Chart

Basic Diet recommended daily servings:

Teenagers: 4 or more Milk, 2 or more Meat, 4 or more Fruit and Vegetable, and 4 or more Grain.

Training Diet recommended daily servings:

Teenagers: 4 or more Milk, 2 or more Meat, 8 or more Fruit and Vegetable, and 8 or more Grain.

Hydration

People often forget that water is an important nutrient, making up 60% of the total body weight and 40% of the muscles. If a rower is not getting enough water they will not be able to perform at the top of their ability, and may even cause themselves physical harm. Bottom line—proper hydration is critical to peak performance.

As rowers exercise, the body increases in temperature and reacts by sweating. As sweat evaporates, a cooling effect is produced that reduces the body temperature. If sweating continues and water is not replaced, the rower becomes dehydrated. If sweating is prolonged or pronounced, the body will become progressively dehydrated. Left unaddressed, dehydration will cause heat-related illnesses, progressing from cramps to heat exhaustion to heat stroke, a life-threatening condition.

When sweat is produced the body also loses electrolytes, critical chemicals for conducting signals through the nervous system. Generally, electrolytes are replaced automatically in a balanced diet, but hard training in high heat may necessitate intentional consumption of fluids which contain specific sports related electrolytes (for example Gatorade or PowerAde).

As a rule, prior to competing or practicing rowers should pre-hydrate by drinking 14-22 ounces of fluid 60-90 minutes before practice or competition. During practice, rowers should be consuming 6-12 ounces of water every thirty minutes. Water consumption should exceed the body’s desire to drink, as someone who is “thirsty” has already begun to be dehydrated. Following exercise the rower needs to drink 16-24 ounces of water for every pound lost during exercise. This is determined by periodically weighing oneself prior to and immediately after exercise—the difference being the amount of water lost during exercise.

Policy and Guidelines on Food Supplements

E. O. Smith Crew fully endorses the policies of the National Federation of State High School Associations (the national service organization to all 50 state high school athletic and activity associations) and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) regarding the use of supplements by athletes. Coaches will not supply, recommend, or permit the use of any drug, medication, or food supplement for performance-enhancing purposes. The use of any drug, medicatio,n or food supplement in a way not described by the manufacturer is not authorized or encouraged by school personnel and coaches.

Even natural substances in unnatural amounts may have short-term or long-term negative health effects. Rowers and their families should be aware that food supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration as to the effectiveness of their claims and indeed generally fall outside the regulatory authority of the Food and Drug Administration, and as such may contain substances that are not on the label, and indeed may even be illegal (for example, contain anabolic steroids).

A balanced diet (supported by a daily multi-vitamin), appropriate hydration, adequate sleep, and commitment to training are the best ways to enhance the performance of the rowing athlete.

Policy and Information on Steroids

E. O. Smith Crew fully endorses the positions of the National Federation of State High School Associations and the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference strongly opposing the abuse of anabolic steroids and other performance-enhancing substances by high school student-athletes. Such use violates legal, ethical, and competitive equity standards, and imposes unreasonable long-term health risks on the athlete.

Anabolic steroids are particularly dangerous for adolescents because their skeletal systems are not fully mature and their bones are still developing. Side effects of steroid usage can include disrupted bone growth and maturation, as well as damage to the heart, kidneys, and liver.

Both the national governing body for rowing, U. S. Rowing, and the international governing body, FISA, have adopted strong policies against performance-enhancing drugs which provide strict penalties (two year suspension for the first offense and a lifetime suspension for the second). E. O. Smith Crew athletes are prohibited from using anabolic steroids and other controlled substances, except as specifically prescribed by physicians for therapeutic purposes. Unauthorized use of anabolic steroids will be considered a violation of the school drug and alcohol policy with all attendant consequences.

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