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Macronutrients  

For recovery adequate refuelling, rehydration, and repair nutrition must be considered (McCartney et al. 2018).

Carbohydrates for refuelling:

Carbohydrate (CHO) nutrition post-exercise is critically necessary for rowing athletes asserts Kim and Kim (2020). Glycogen resynthesis is most rapid in the first hours of recovery and is said to begin within 30 seconds to 1 minute after exercise (Lanham et al., 2011). Rapid restoration of muscle glycogen stores, writes Craven et al. (2021) is critical for athletes undertaking strenuous exercise, and is accelerated when CHO is consumed. Delaying the intake of CHO by 2 hours after exercise has been found to attenuate the rate of muscle glycogen resynthesis by as much as 50% (Ivy, 1999, cited in Aragon and Schoenfeld, 2013). During re-synthesis (Ivy, 2004), writes that glycogen synthase is activated and works in conjunction with insulin to facilitate faster and increased storage of glycogen.

Timing:

Timing and frequency of CHO ingestion during recovery play a significant role in promoting rapid glycogen resynthesis. CHO should be consumed immediately after exercise, writes Lanham et al. (2011, p.68).  Ivy (2004) suggest that CHO for recovery is best ingested at regular intervals (e.g. within 30 minutes following exercise and then every 2 hours for 4 to 6 hours) to maximise the rate of glycogen resynthesis.

Type:

During the recovery period (24 hours after exercise), muscle glycogen resynthesis has been shown to be greater when moderate or high glycaemic index (GI) carbohydrate products are consumed (Burke and Ivy, 2004). Further, protein in conjunction with CHO of about 0.4 g/kg immediately after exercise has been found to aid glycogen replenishment and reduction of muscle soreness (Kim and Kim, 2020; Lanham et al., 2011).

Amount:

Glycogen resynthesis is supported by CHO intake of 1.2 grams per kilogram of body weight post-exercise (Boegman and Dziedzic, 2016). Our athlete will need approximately 68 g of carbohydrates immediately after exercise and every 2 hours for 4-6 hours for successful recovery.

Protein for repair:

In the period following exercise, there is a significant opportunity for muscle protein synthesis which persists until at least 24 hours after exercise (Burke et al., 2011). Consuming protein, more specifically, the essential amino acids have been found to attenuate the negative protein balance that occurs between meals (Biolo et al., 1997). Post-exercise protein intake has been found to acquire greater increases in lean mass and strength (Josse et al., 2011).

Timing:

Post-exercise, particularly within 15-30 minutes, consuming protein has been found to accelerate the rate of muscle protein synthesis (Rasmussen et al., 2000). Protein consumption in subsequent meals throughout the day, suggests Areka et al. (2013) can aid in the continuous rebuilding and repair of tissues before the upcoming session.

Type:

Consuming high-quality protein-rich foods specifically, milk whey, eggs, and meat have all been  associated with significant increases in muscle protein synthesis after exercise (Kim and Kim, 2020). Further, the amino acid leucine has been found to be an effective stimulator of muscle protein synthesis via the upregulation of molecular cell signalling pathways (Rondanelli et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2010).

Amount:

In the early stages of recovery, 0.3–0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of the body should be consumed immediately after training or competition, every 3-5 hours (Moore et al., 2015, cited in Kim and Kim, 2020; Areka et al. 2013). Excessive consumption above this threshold, writes Moore et al., (2009) can stimulate increased rates of irreversible protein oxidation and can be considered wasteful. Our athlete will need approximately 17-22 grams of protein immediately after exercise and every 3-5 hours for successful recovery.

Micronutrients

Iron:

The high utilisation of oxygen during training and rowing competitions mandates that rowers have an excellent iron status. Iron is crucial for the production of haemoglobin. Red blood cells contain the protein haemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body (Damian et al. 2021). As a result, low iron levels may lead to decreased oxygen delivery to the working muscles, making it more difficult to train vigorously for the duration of a training session. A greater risk of becoming anaemic is in the lightweight group of rowers – strict restrictions are imposed on the maximum body weight that each competitor may have in lightweight rowing (Gillbanks et al. 2022). As a result, calorie restriction is prevalent among lightweight rowers despite their excessive use of energy. Therefore, the anaemic rower needs an iron rich diet and/or iron supplementation pre, during and post rowing (World Rowing 2016).

Timing:

It is advised to take iron at least 30 minutes before a meal or two hours before taking other drugs for the best absorption (Nguyen & Tadi 2022).

Amount:

It is recommended to have 14.8mg a day for women aged 19 to 49

Type:

It’s important to consume enough iron to keep up with the recommended daily intake of the rower.  Therefore Iron rich foods such as red meat, liver, beans, fortified products etc. should be consumed (Kim, J., Kim, E.K, 2020). If it’s hard to keep healthy levels of iron with food only, then supplementation is recommended as well.

Rowing is a high-intensity sport that demands an exceptional level of aerobic and anaerobic capacity (Treff, Winkert and Steinacker, 2021; Kim and Kim, 2020). During a 2000 m course muscle glycogen is used as the main energy substrate attributing to 77% of the total energy, while 33% of the total energy supply is supplied from anaerobic energy systems (Kim and Kim, 2020). Consequently, rowers often are faced with significant physiological challenges following training or competition such as glycogen degradation, and increased inflammation markers which can result in compromised immunological functions (Kim and Kim, 2020). As advocated by Boegman and Dziedic (2016), good nutrition is crucial for optimal training capacity and successful recovery, specifically for glycogen store replenishment. Gleeson (2002) writes that neglecting recovery can result in a decline in physical condition which can increase the risk of injury or unexplained underperformance syndrome. 

Meal Plan

We have created a meal plan to support our athlete’s recovery, which includes an average calorie intake of 2600 kcal to 4900 kcal, 68 g of carbohydrates immediately after exercise and every 2 hours for 4-6 hours, and 22 g of protein immediately after exercise and every 3-5 hours (Kim and Kim, 2020; Areka et al, 2013; Ivy, 2004). We have included an estimated calorie intake because we were not able to determine our athlete’s RER, and because our athlete’s competition took place in the afternoon, we have only included meals to facilitate the first few hours following exercise.