What are the best foods for Rowers?
- Posted in Nutrition
- March 23rd, 2010
Maximize Your Rowing Potential
Spring is in the air. That means that the sun will be hot, the water will be cool, and the conditions will be perfect for rowing. You hope.
There are only a limited number of athletic endeavors that utilize all of the major muscles groups without the use of weights. Rowing just happens to be one of them. As with every other form of exercise, a proper diet is essential to people that take up rowing.
In order to maximize your full rowing potential, you should consciously avoid greasy and acidic foods like eggs, bacon, or coffee 3-4 hours prior to rowing. They will tumble around uncomfortably in your stomach and make you sick as your body constantly moves back and forth.
Focus on consuming carbohydrates. The less saturated fat there is in the food, the more you will benefit positively from it. Plain bagels are an awesome pre-row food. Follow them up with a warm blueberry muffin and wash them down with a cool glass of orange juice and you will be set.
A good lunch would be heavy on the pasta. Spaghetti works wonders on the body. Baked potatoes are excellent when eaten plain; however, the extravagant toppings that people often eat on them will way you down. For dessert, you should either have dried apricots or frozen yogurt.
Frozen smoothies made from fresh fruit and vegetables are ideal for rowers. They pack an unbelievable amount of carbohydrates into one healthy drink. Smoothies are delicious and they can be made from a wide variety of assorted ingredients. There are more revitalizing nutrients and sources of fiber in a smoothie than there are in any type of fruit juice. Because they are liquid, the human body can absorb more vitamins and minerals from a smoothie than it can with solid food.
While bagels and pasta are prime sources of protein, they cannot compare to the nutrition and portability of a smoothie. Drinking a smoothie is comparable to eating an entire meal. You get everything you need from one source. They contain the appropriate amount of carbohydrates, contain additional vitamins and nutrients that are most often found in an entire meal, and they can be drunk while running errands. Get a smoothie down you and you’ll be set for the day!
