Nutrition for Rowers

Rowing burns 400-800 calories per hour. Rowers need more fuel than most athletes.

Daily Eating

Carbs are king — rice, pasta, oats, bread. Rowers need carbs for sustained endurance work.
Protein for recovery — aim for protein at every meal
Don’t skip meals — rowers who under-eat lose power and get sick more often

Pre-Training

1.5–2 hours before: oatmeal, banana, PB toast
30 min before: small snack if needed — energy bar, fruit

Recovery

Within 30 minutes: protein shake, chocolate milk, or a real meal
Rehydrate: rowing produces heavy sweating even in cold weather

Rowers eat a lot. Competitive rowers may need 3,000-5,000 calories per day depending on training volume. Under-fueling is more common than over-fueling in rowing.