Training Guide
Rowing is a physically demanding sport. Athletes that are successful in Cross Country running, swimming, and other endurance sports are often successful oarsmen. We are looking for tall, lean-muscled boys and girls. We practice 5 days/week in the spring. Some athletes also lift weights in addition to the on water training. We also emphasize flexibility and stretching before and after each practice.
Word about Nutrition
Training nutrition
Rowers have very high energy and carbohydrate requirements to support training loads and meet body weight and strength goals. All rowers need to work hard to recover between training sessions. A high-energy, high-carbohydrate, nutrient dense diet is required. Some rowers (particularly male heavyweights) struggle with the shear volume of food they need to consume. Frequent snacks and use of compact, energy dense foods or drinks such as juice, flavored milk, jam, honey, bars and liquid meals is necessary to keep the volume of food manageable. Rowers need to pay particular attention to recovery after training and organize themselves to have high carbohydrate snacks on hand immediately after training sessions are completed. Check NetSweat, a site dedicated to fitness for athletes.
Matters of Physique
It is an advantage to be heavy and strong in heavyweight rowing. As body weight is supported in the boat, higher body fat levels are not as great a disadvantage as they are in other weight bearing sports. However, at times, it may be necessary for heavyweight rowers to trim their skin folds. In lightweight rowing the need to maintain low body fat levels becomes more important. Rowers needing to reduce skin folds must target excess kilojoules in the diet. In particular, excess fat, alcohol and sugary foods should be targeted and replaced with more nutrient dense choices.
Iron status
Rowers can be at risk of poor iron status. In particular, females and adolescent males can struggle to meet their iron needs. Regular checks of iron status are recommended. Rowers should include sources of iron such as lean red meat, chicken, fortified cereals, wholegrain cereals, legumes and green vegetables in the diet on a regular basis. Advice from a sports dietitian should be sought if low iron status develops.
Fluid needs
Long training sessions on the water lead to significant sweat losses, particularly when undertaken twice a day. The table below shows sweat losses and fluid intakes recorded on AIS rowers in different environmental conditions. Despite having drink bottles available, athletes failed to consume enough fluid to keep up with their sweat losses, particularly in hot weather. Note, however, even in cold weather, considerable sweat losses were seen.
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Rowers should establish their individual fluid losses by weighing before and after training sessions. Each kilogram of weight lost is the equivalent to 1 Liter of fluid. Adding the weight of any fluid or food consumed during the session to the weight change over the session provides an estimate of total fluid loss for the workout. However, to fully dehydrate a rower usually has to consume 150% of the remaining fluid deficit, over the next few hours, to regain fluid balance. For example, if a rower finishes a session 2kg lighter and consumes 0.5 Liter during the session, total sweat loss over the session is approximately 2.5 Liters. Once individual requirements are known, a plan can be developed to allow rowers to meet fluid requirements in subsequent sessions. However, now that a deficit of 2 Liters has occurred, the rower will need to drink approximately 3 Liters during the next hours to compensate for continued urine and sweat losses until fluid balance is regained.
The following tips will assist with hydration:
- Drink with all meals and snacks before a training session. Consume 300-400ml of fluid in the hour before training commences to ensure you begin each session hydrated.
- Take sufficient drink bottles to training. Keep some in the coach's boat for top-ups.
- Take a few seconds every 15-20 minutes or between pieces for a drink break. Alternatively, try using a drink container like a hydration-pack, which is worn on the back, to avoid having to take your hands off the oar to drink.
- Dehydrate fully after the session.
- Sports drinks are the recommended fluid choice during rowing.
- Lightweight rowers should not consider a lower weight at the end of a workout to be a good sign. Even though dehydration is an inevitable part of making weight for competition, it is unnecessary and counterproductive in the training setting. Aim to train as well as possible at all sessions by staying as well hydrated as possible.
Competition Nutrition
Rowers should go into each race with fluid and fuel stores topped up, and feeling comfortable after the last meal. With the regatta or competition lasting a number of days, the challenge is to recover between each day's sessions and to prepare for the next race. Generally a meal which provides carbohydrate should be consumed 2-3 hours before a race. Suitable foods include breakfast cereal, toast, muffins, sandwiches, yogurt, fruit, pasta with tomato sauce and creamed rice. Some rowers need to take special care with pre-race eating - it can be very uncomfortable to race with a full stomach. Low bulk choices such as liquid meals and sports bars can be useful in these situations.
With much of the day tied up in preparation and the race itself, there is usually little opportunity for rowers to meet their usual high-energy intake. Consequently, some rowers find that they quickly lose weight over the course of the competition. Rowers need to organize themselves to have nutritious food supplies at their finger-tips at all times. Take along a supply of cereal bars, liquid meal supplements, sports bars, fruit bars, dried fruit, sandwiches, yogurt, juice etc. Commence your recovery as soon as possible after each race by consuming some of these snack foods. Don't neglect fluid needs. You can be dehydrated from your rowing efforts, making-weight practices, or just from sitting in the sun watching the competition. Carbohydrate-containing fluids such as sports drinks are useful for topping up both fluid and carbohydrate stores.
This information has been adapted from L. Burke, The Complete Guide to Food for Sports Performance, 2nd edition, Allen and Unwin, 1995.
Stretching
Quadriceps
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Position: Side-lying with top knee bent, extend your hip. With your hand holding the top of the foot, opposite arm will cradle your head.
Motion: Pull the foot backwards and up bending the knee and extending the hip.
Purpose: To stretch the quadricep and psoas muscles and the tissues of the anterior thigh.
Tips: Pain should never be felt in the knee joint.
Hamstrings
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Position: Sit with leg to be stretched extended on the ground with foot and toes pointed upward. Opposite leg should be bent with bottom of foot touching the straight leg.
Motion: Move hands forward along the leg toward the toes, leaning and bending from the waist while keeping your back straight.
Purpose: To stretch the hamstrings and calf muscles
Tips: Make sure to keep your back straight and knee extended fully.
Iliotibial Band, Lateral Hip, & Lumbar Paraspinals
Position: Lying on your back, bend your hip and knee to 90 degrees, place your opposite hand on the knee while keeping the opposite leg extended straight.
Motion: Gently pull knee and leg across the mnidline of the body, turn head toward opposite side and extend arm.
Purpose: To stretch the Iliotibial Band, Lateral Hip, and Lumbar Paraspinals.
Tips: Keep shoulders flat!
Psoas (hip flexors)
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Position: In 1/2 kneeling position, with right foot flat and knee at 90 degrees.
Motion: Gently lean body forward over the front foot keeping your back and torso straight while extending the hip.
Purpose: To stretch the Psoas and anterior hip.
Tips: Keeping your back up straight will enhance the stretch.
Thoracic, Lumbar Paraspinals, Lateral Rotators of the Hip, and Ribs
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Position: Sitting with one leg bent over and extended opposite leg. Rest your elbow on the bent knee.
Motion: With the opposite arm resting on the ground use the elbow resting on the bent knee to rotate your body slowly and turn.
Purpose: To stretch the Thoracic, Lumbar, Paraspinals, Lateral Hip Rotators, and Ribs.
Tips: Relax your Hips
Gastrocnemius, Soleus, & Achilles Tendon
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Position: Standing facing a wall or tree, separate your feet, elbows straight and hands on wall/tree.
Motion: Slowly bend the forward knee, keeping your back straight, bending your elbows and moving your body toward the wall/tree.
Purpose: To stretch the Gastrocnemius, Soleus, and Achilles Tendon
Tips: Be sure to keep the heel of the back leg touching the ground. Don't let it lift up! Keep your toes pointed straight.
Posterior Rotator Cuff and Capsule
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Position: Standing with arm in front of you with our elbow bent, use the opposite hand to hold underneath, just above the elbow.
Motion: Slowly pull across your body toward the opposite shoulder.
Purpose: To stretch the Posterior Rotator Cuff and Shoulder.
Tips: Stretch should be felt behind the shoulder. Pain should never be felt in the front of the shoulder while doing this stretch.
Wrist Flexors
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Position: Standing with arm extended in front of you at 90 degrees, use your opposite hand to grasp the fingers.
Motion: Slowly extend the fingers so they are pointing upward.
Purpose: To stretch the Forearm, Wrist, and Wrist Flexors.
Tips: Stretch should be felt in the forearm and not the wrist joint.
How to Take Care of Your Hands
Blisters
As soon as possible, prick blister with 2-3 holes (large enough that they won't close up again) and drain. Then dry out the blister with Betadine and/or Friar's Balsam (use more of these as soon as the yellow color is gone). Also use antiseptic, e.g. Nesoporin.
Fingers
Cover blister with Elastoplast band aid (+ sports tape if necessary).
Hands
Cover area with Moleskin - cut to shape of hand, cover wound with gauze first, put strips of sports tape over the moleskin to keep on.
Infected
Soak in warm salty water 2-3 times a day. Use Betadine and a protective dressing. If you get red patches on arms or underarms - SEE A DOCTOR.
Calluses
Trim calluses with a sharp blade regularly -as close to normal skin as possible.
To Toughen and Dry-out Skin
Salt Water Soaks: soak hands in mixture of cooking salt and water for a few minutes 2-3 times a day. Alcohol rubbed into hands.
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