Rowing a boat is not simple-as ‘row, row, row your boat gently down the stream’. Rowing is a physically demanding sport that requires power, strength, endurance and technical skills. The ambient conditions including the water flow and wind conditions impacts one’s ability to row. Rowers need to be mentally tough to navigate and push through the race.
The complex and rigorous training for rowing requires personalized and flexible performance nutrition planning. Let’s navigate through some of the challenges and solutions that I have observed while working with the rowers training at the Army Rowing Node, Pune since 2019.
The rower’s physique
A tall stature, longer arms, higher muscle mass, and lower body fat is desirable in rowing. Height is considered to be an important predictor of performance in male rowers 1. Most rowers have a height above 180cms. The open weight rowers (single, double, quadruple sculls, coxless pair, four and eight) find it relatively easy to achieve optimal weight and body composition suitable for their events.
Challenge: Weight loss is a struggle specifically in light weight double scullers. These rowers are exceptionally tall and are expected to achieve a target weight of 70Kg for races. Rowers in this group often resort to many ‘faulty practices’ to reach their target body weight.
Solution: Periodized nutrition interventions that align with their training program is crucial. Team work is key, communicating with both the rower and the sports psychologist helps to prevent use of extreme weight cutting/making behaviours.
Achieving the target weight
Challenge: Low energy intake (fasting, frugal eating), intense training, and dehydration are common quick fix practices opted by rowers to achieve the desired weight prior to race. However, these can undoubtedly hamper an athlete’s health, performance and recovery.
Solution: Rowers should start weight loss at least 4 weeks prior to competition. It is desirable to have a weight above 3-5 kg to sustain the intense training sessions. Training with a low/no carbohydrate intake is an effective strategy. Rowers should consume a carbohydrate and protein-rich meal post-training to replenish the glycogen stores. One week before the competition rowers should reduce sodium intake, reduce fibre and limit water/fluid intake (2).
Severe water and food restriction and/or active or passive sweating may be required if a rower is unable to reach the weight within the timeframe. Post weigh-in, rowers should rehydrate with sports drinks, and electrolyte solutions and limit carbohydrate intake to 0.5–1.0 g/kg of body weight at regular intervals. Rowers should also avoid high fibre foods to prevent gastric distress (3).
Throwing up
Challenge: Rowers often puke or throw up during ergometer training and time trial sessions. The shift in blood flow to the working muscles constricts the flow to the stomach and intestines. If there is anything in the stomach, the body tries to eliminate it (4). The lactate produced lowers the pH causing acidity and nausea.
Solution: To prevent gastric distress, rowers should avoid eating close to the sessions, and consume fluids allowing sufficient time to void. The intake of sodium bicarbonate has been shown to reduce gastric distress in some rowers (5). Sipping on electrolyte solutions and/or mouth rinses on the go are also effective. Each rower needs to find what works best for them based on personal experience.
Low Back pain
Challenge: “There’s definitely something wrong but we just don’t know what it is” is the title of a qualitative study exploring rowers understanding of low back pain. Low back pain is a common problem in rowers (6). It could be due to fatigue, poor technique, sudden jerks, intense training on rowing ergometers, stress, low energy intake, stress, and/or fear.
Solution: There is limited data on how diet and nutrient intake can alleviate the incidence of low back pain in rowers. Focusing on recovery nutrition in phases of rest/non-training days to hasten return to sport is the priority here.
Apart from these health and nutrition-specific challenges, what else sets rowing apart and bothers me-
Spectator-less sport
Challenge: Rowing races have very few spectators all through the distance of 2000 meters. Rowers on the go miss crowd motivation, cheers and all the noise like any other sports tournament.
Solution: Rowers need to be focused and self-motivated all through the race.
As we steer through the challenges in rowing, it is evident that rowing is not an easy sport, and it is not as simple as just rowing your boat gently down the stream!
References:
- Penichet-Tomas A, Pueo B, Selles-Perez S, Jimenez-Olmedo JM. Analysis of Anthropometric and Body Composition Profile in Male and Female Traditional Rowers. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Jul 23;18(15):7826. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18157826. PMID: 34360119; PMCID: PMC8345353.
- https://www.appliedstrongman.net/articles/Acute-weight-manipulation-awm-a-complete-guide
- Reale, R. (2018). Acute weight management in combat sports: pre-weight-in weight loss, post-weight-in recovery and competition nutrition strategies. Sports Science Exchange, 29(183), 1-6.
- Samborski P, Chmielarz-Czarnocińska A, Grzymisławski M. Exercise-induced vomiting. Prz Gastroenterol. 2013;8(6):396-400. doi: 10.5114/pg.2013.39924.
- Martin RAXJ, Hilton NP, Sparks SA, Saunders B, McNaughton LR. The effects of enteric-coated sodium bicarbonate supplementation on 2 km rowing performance in female CrossFit® athletes. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2023 Jun;123(6):1191-1198. doi: 10.1007/s00421-023-05140-4.
- Casey, M. B., Wilson, F., Ng, L., O’Sullivan, K., Caneiro, J. P., O’Sullivan, P. B., … & McGowan, E. (2022). “There’s definitely something wrong but we just don’t know what it is”: A qualitative study exploring rowers’ understanding of low back pain. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 25(7), 557-563.
About the author: Geetanjali is a renowned practising sports nutritionist from India and is the Secretary of Association of Sports, Nutrition and Fitness Sciences (ASNFS), India. You can read more about her here.
