How Your Diet Can Affect Your Rowing Machine Performance

Your diet can affect your rowing machine performance mainly through how much carbohydrate is in your muscles when you start. Protein and timing come next, then everything else. Sort those three before you buy any supplement, though no diet makes up for missed sessions or poor sleep, and these figures are general guidance rather than a personal plan.

Carbohydrate is your main fuel

Rowing, especially hard intervals and tests, runs on carbohydrate stored in your muscles. If your legs have ever gone heavy halfway through a long piece for no obvious reason, low stores are one of the first things to look at.

British Rowing guidance scales daily carbohydrate to training load. Here is the sum for a 75 kg rower.

Training	g per kg per day	Daily carbohydrate at 75 kg
Light	3 to 5	225 to 375 g
Endurance training	6 to 10	450 to 750 g
4 to 5 hours or more a day	8 to 12	600 to 900 g

As a rule of thumb, home rowers doing 30 to 45 minutes a day sit towards the light row. That is why copying a squad diet tends to overshoot. Include rice, pasta, potatoes, oats, bread and fruit in your meals, with more on heavy days. Our carb-loading guide covers the days before a long event. If you are tempted to cut carbohydrate right down, read whether the keto diet can affect your rowing first.

Protein supports recovery

Protein helps your muscles repair after training. Good sources include eggs, fish, poultry, dairy, beans, lentils and tofu.

The 2016 joint position statement from US and Canadian dietetic bodies and the American College of Sports Medicine is widely cited at 1.2 to 2.0 g per kg a day. For a 75 kg rower that is 90 to 150 g. British Rowing guidance suggests 20 to 40 g in the snack and meal after training. Four servings of 25 g reach 100 g, so most people can get there without shakes. If you are vegetarian or vegan, mix beans, lentils, tofu, nuts and wholegrains across the day.

Fat has a role

Fat provides energy and helps absorb some vitamins. Choose mostly unsaturated sources such as olive oil, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Avoid very fatty foods right before training, as they digest slowly and sit heavily when you are breathing hard.

Vitamins and minerals

A varied diet with at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day usually covers your needs. Some people, such as those on restricted diets, may need advice. Iron, vitamin D and B12 are commonly discussed with athletes, but whether you need any of them is something a blood test and a professional can tell you. Ask your GP or a registered dietitian before taking anything, particularly in high doses.

Hydration

Start sessions hydrated, sip during long pieces and drink afterwards. Losing more than 2% of your body weight in fluid is the point sports medicine calls excessive, and our guide to hydration when rowing shows how to measure your own loss.

Building a balanced plate

The NHS Eatwell Guide is a sound starting point, and it needs only small changes for training.

On the plate	Everyday share	On heavy days
Fruit and vegetables	Just over a third	The same
Starchy carbohydrate	Just over a third	Bigger portion
Protein foods	Smaller share, palm-sized	The same
Dairy or alternatives	Smaller share	The same
Oils and spreads	A little	The same

On rest days or very easy days, shrink the carbohydrate without worrying.

Timing around a session

Time	Suggestion
3 to 4 hours before	Meal with carbohydrate, some protein, low fat
30 to 60 minutes before	Small snack such as a banana or toast
During, under an hour	Water
During, longer	Water, plus carbohydrate if the session is long
Within a couple of hours after	Meal with 1 to 1.2 g of carbohydrate per kg, and protein

Before a 2k test, British Rowing guidance says 1 to 2 g of carbohydrate per kg is enough, or 75 to 150 g for a 75 kg rower. As a rule of thumb, 75 g of dry oats with a banana and a spoon of honey comes to about 85 g, which sits near the lower end. Add toast if you want more.

Example day around an early erg session

• 6:00: Banana and a slice of toast with honey.
• 7:00: Erg session.
• 8:00: Porridge with milk, fruit and nuts, or eggs on toast.
• 12:30: Rice or pasta with chicken, fish or beans and vegetables.
• 16:00: Yoghurt and fruit, or a sandwich.
• 19:00: Dinner with carbohydrate, protein and vegetables.

Adjust portions to your size, appetite and training load. If sessions feel flat, add carbohydrate at the 6:00 and 19:00 slots first.

Common mistakes

• Training hard on too little food. The fix is a snack before and a meal soon after, for two weeks, then see how sessions feel. Our piece on the connection between rowing diet and mental health lists the warning signs of under-fuelling.
• Leaning on protein shakes while neglecting carbohydrate. Eat the starchy portion first.
• Trying new foods on test day. Rehearse your test breakfast before a hard session.
• Believing one food or supplement will transform performance. Check your meals first, then ask a dietitian.

Food supports training, so pair it with a structure. See our training plans for the week, and browse the nutrition hub for more.