The ABCs of Sports Nutrition
Believe it or not, eating a good sports diet can be simple. Yet too many rowers have created a complex and confusing eating program, with good and bad foods, lots of rules, and plenty of guilt. Let’s get back to the basics and enjoy performance-enhancing fueling with these simple ABCs for winning nutrition.
Appreciate the power of food and the positive impact it has on athletic performance. Also notice the negative impact of hunger on your mood, ability to focus, and energy. As a rower, you are either fueling up or refueling. Every meal and snack has a purpose. Be responsible!
Breakfast: Eat it within three hours of waking for a high-energy day. If you’re not hungry in the morning, cut back on evening snacks (with little nutritional value) and you’ll be ready for a wholesome morning meal. Alternatively, eat that wholesome morning meal at night in place of the snacky foods.
Carbohydrates are the preferred source of muscle fuel for hard exercise. Do not “stay away from” pasta, potatoes, bread, bagels and other starchy foods that are deemed fattening, wrongly, but actually help keep your muscles well fueled. Serious rowers who minimize carb intake risk having poorly fueled muscles.
Dehydration slows you down, so plan to drink extra fluid 45 to 90 minutes before a hard workout. That’s how much time the kidneys require to process fluid. Schedule time to tank up, urinate the excess, and then drink again soon before you begin to row.
Energy bars are more about convenience than necessity. Bananas, raisins, Fig Newtons and granola bars offer convenient fuel at a fraction of the price. If you prefer pre-wrapped bars, choose ones made with wholesome ingredients such as dried fruits, nuts, and whole grains.
Foods fortified with iron can help vegetarians and non-meat eaters reduce their risk of becoming anemic. Iron-fortified breakfast cereals, such as raisin bran, Grape-Nuts and Wheaties, offer more iron than all-natural brands with no added iron, such as Kashi, old-fashioned oats, and granola.
Gatorade and other sports drinks are designed to be used by rowers during extended exercise, not as a mealtime beverage or snack. Most meals contain far more electrolytes than found in a sports drink.
Hypoglycemia (low blood sugar, characterized by lightheadedness, fatigue, and inability to concentrate) is preventable. To eliminate 4 p.m. low blood sugar, enjoy a hearty mid-afternoon snack.
Intermittent fasting might offer health benefits for an over-fat, under-fit sedentary person, but it’s not designed for rowers. Extended time without food puts your body into muscle-breakdown mode.
Junk food can fit into your sports diet in small amounts. You don’t have to have a “perfect diet” to have an excellent diet. The goal is 90 percent quality foods and, if desired, 10 percent fun foods.
Keto, Paleo and other fad reducing diets “work” because they limit calorie intake. But when dieters escape from food jail, backlash takes its toll. Your better bet: Learn how to eat appropriately, not diet restrictively.
Lifting weights is key to building muscles. Carbohydrates provide the energy needed to lift heavy weights. To support muscular growth, choose carbohydrate-based meals with a side of protein, as opposed to protein-based meals with minimal carbs.
Muscles store carbohydrate (grains, fruits, veggies) as glycogen. When replenishing depleted glycogen to prevent needless fatigue, muscles store about three ounces of water for each ounce of carb. Hence, a rower might gain two to four pounds of water weight when refueling on a rest day.
Nutrient-dense whole foods are so much better for your health than ultra-processed foods. By satiating your appetite with hearty breakfasts and lunches, you’ll curb your desire for afternoon and evening chips, cookies, instant meals, and other highly processed foods—and may not even miss them!
Obsessed about food and weight? If you spend too much time thinking about what or what not to eat, meeting with a sports dietitian can help stop the struggle. Eating should be intuitive.
Protein is an important part of a sports diet. It helps build and repair muscles after hard workouts, but it does not refuel muscles. A recovery drink should offer three times more carbs than protein. Choose chocolate milk instead of a protein shake with minimal carbs.
Quality calories are abundant in natural foods. Be sure there are more apple cores and banana peels than energy bar wrappers and ultra-processed food packages in your wastebasket.
Rest is an important part of a training program; your muscles need time to heal and refuel. Plan one or two days with little or no exercise per week. You might feel just as hungry on rest days as on exercise days. That’s because your muscles are replenishing depleted glycogen stores with the foods you’re eating.
Sweet cravings are a sign you’ve gotten too hungry. Curb the cravings by eating more breakfast and lunch. Stop eating at those meals when you’re feeling satiated, not because you think you should or because the food is gone. You’ll have more energy and less desire for sweets later in the day. Trust me.
Thinner does not equate to performing better if the cost of being thinner is skimpy meals and poorly fueled muscles. Instead, focus on being well-fueled, strong, and powerful.
Urine that is dark and smelly indicates a need to drink more fluid. (Fluid includes coffee, yogurt, and watery foods). Well-hydrated rowers have pale urine and urinate every two to four hours.
Vegetarian rowers who do not eat meat should include plant protein at every meal and snack. Suggestions: peanut butter on a bagel, hummus with baby carrots, nuts or seeds in a salad.
Weight is more than a matter of willpower; your genes play a role. Forcing your body to be too thin is abusive. If you are far leaner than others in your family, think twice before trying to lose even more weight.
Extra vitamins are best found the all-natural way—in dark, colorful vegetables (broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomatoes, carrots), or in fresh fruit (oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, strawberries, kiwi). Chow down!
Yes, you can fuel your engine optimally. The trick is to prevent hunger. When too hungry, you’ll likely grab the handiest—but not the healthiest—food around. Experiment with front-loading your calories.
Zippy and zingy. That’s how you’ll feel when you fuel with premium nutrition. Eat well and enjoy your high energy!
For personalized nutrition help, consult with a registered dietitian (R.D.) who is a board-certified specialist in sports dietetics (C.S.S.D.). Use the referral network at eatright.org to find your local sports dietitian.
Nancy Clark, M.S., R.D., C.S.S.D., counsels both fitness exercisers and competitive athletes in the Boston area (Newton; 617-795-1875). Her best-selling Sports Nutrition Guidebook is a popular resource, as is her online workshop. For more information, visit NancyClarkRD.com.
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