What to eat before rowing??

Question

What are the best and worst foods to eat before rowing?(crew)?

Answer 1

Allow adequate time for food to digest

                Large Meal- 4-6 hours

                Liquid Meal- 1-2 hours

                Small Meal- 2-3 hours

                Snack or Sports Drink- 1 hour

Allow more time for digestion as intensity of exercise increases because muscles require more blood during intense exercise.  As blood leaves the stomach to go to the muscles, digestion slows down.

Avoid sugared foods from 1 hour before exercise up to 5-10 minutes. This avoids a blood sugar spike followed by a plunge due to the release of insulin which prevents fats being released from cells and available for energy. This uses up glycogen even quicker! The last 5-10 minutes is too short a time for insulin to be secreted and secretion is turned off during exercise.

Eat a high-carbohydrate diet daily so muscles will be fueled, especially if you have a jittery stomach and usually abstain from pre-race meals.  Rowers can still perform well under these circumstances.

Eat familiar foods before a race, experiment in practice.

Hydrate -- the day before and an hour before. Longer races benefit from electrolytes.