rowers need fuel

All engines need fuel to run, and rowers need a huge engine to compete at the highest levels. What does it mean to fuel your body right as a high school rower?

FIRST AND FOREMOST: EAT WHEN YOU ARE HUNGRY.

This may sound simple, but learning to listen to your body and answer it at the right time is not es easy as it sounds. You have a school day to plan around, practice to travel to, homework to get done. When you get hungry, you need to make sure you have access to food so that you’re fueled up throughout the day. You’re hungry in the morning whether you know it or not. If you have an early school lunch, you’re hungry again after school before practice. If you have a long drive home, you’re hungry in your car before you get home after practice.

SECOND: EAT MOSTLY REAL FOOD.

This can be tricky for high school athletes on the go, so we have to remember to not just eat healthy food at home but look at the ingredients of what we eat when we’re not at home. The fewer ingredients, and the easier they are to pronounce, generally the better. Does that mean no Chick-fil-A ever? Of course not - this is the real world. But it means giving some thought to what you buy at the store for snacks, for starters.

THIRD: STAY HYDRATED.

Easy to remember and easy to do IF you have a water bottle! This is important year-round, but it’s especially important in the hot months outside. You need at least one, and probably several, large water bottles. If you’re a guy who loses things like that, buy a dozen cheap plastic squeeze bottles (they’re great in the boat actually). If you can keep up with your stuff, buy a nice insulated one that’s big enough to last you through a long early fall practice. Never ever be afraid to ask for a minute to get a drink during practice.

Well, what about if you’re trying to gain or lose weight?

First, it’s very rare that a high school athlete in rowing actually needs to lose weight. We do not row lightweight categories, and we do not ask coxswains to lose weight ever. You will almost always get to a safe healthy weight by simply following the above instructions and showing up to practice. If, however, you have spoken to both your parents and your coach, and possibly your doctor, and you want to make an effort to lose a few pounds, the only thing to add to the above is just “Don’t eat when you’re not hungry.” Don’t eat to have fun, or late at night for no reason. If you follow those top three items and then add that last one, you’ll be fine.

Wanting or needing to gain or maintain weight for rowing is more common. Rowing is not a sport that rewards extra mass unless it is truly muscle and engine helping to move the boat, but for some athletes it can be difficult to produce their maximal power without some more muscle. And some guys simply need to focus on maintaining the weight they have because they’re doing so much aerobic work. If you have talked to your parents and your coach and possibly your doctor, you should develop a plan specific to YOU to help you maintain or gain weight. This is not something you should ever undertake yourself. Do not take supplements to help you gain mass while lifting - that’s not efficient mass anyway. But EVERYONE should be making sure they have some fuel right before practice (after school) and some recovery fuel right after practice, along with hydration.

WHAT ABOUT OTHER SUPPLEMENTS?

Anything with caffeine is not at all recommended. Anything with any other common or odd-sounding ingredients marketed as boosting performance, concentration, muscle, speed, or anything is highly advised against. If you want to be more alert, get more sleep. If you want to go faster, erg more. If you want more muscle, talk to your coach first.