Cabbages BC

Borrowed from the KCSBC website...

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One problem that most rowing parents do not usually have is persuading their son to eat! However, it’s also important to know what to eat and when, as the effect of diet on performance is significant. Equally, as young oarsmen are also going through periods of rapid growth it is vital to ensure that their high level of physical activity – in terms of both duration and intensity – does not compromise their normal development. Good eating habits and a diet that supplies the right nutrients to support their level of energy expenditure will ensure that your sons grow well and keep healthy.

The following information is general advice. However, if your son needs a special diet (for example, for diabetes) consult a dietician and/or your medical practitioner. This also applies if your son looses weight, is not eating properly, or seems exceptionally tired or lacking in energy.

These basic principles for good diet for sport apply equally to the general population:

Have regular meals; don’t miss breakfast!
Make sure that about two-thirds of your energy is supplied by starchy foods i.e., bread, potatoes and pasta.
Avoid foods that are high in fat, especially saturated fat.
Eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables.

N.B. There is no need to increase the amount of protein in the diet as most people in developed countries consume more than they require.

It is extremely important for athletes to DRINK ENOUGH (water, not alcohol!).

Energy for exercise is best provided by carbohydrate foods, which is stored in the form of glycogen in muscle tissues. It is better that the energy comes from starchy rather than sugary foods. It is also very important to know that the body’s ability to form glycogen from food is greatest immediately after exercise. Glycogen stores are reduced by exercise and are built up at a much slower rate than they have been used, so the sooner you can eat carbohydrate after exercise (preferably within 30 minutes) the better. Inadequate replenishment over several days leads to a decline in performance, tiredness and the symptoms of “over training”. Performance is also affected by dehydration (see point 2 below).

For many youngsters, the main challenge is finding enough opportunities to consume the quantity of food required for maintaining energy requirements. This gets increasingly difficult as they get bigger! However, if they establish a good eating pattern early on, the volume of food can be adjusted appropriately, according to body size and level of activity.

Basic Principles

1	Always have a good breakfast. For an early training session, have cereals or toast and milk before leaving home and take sandwiches for eating immediately afterwards.
2	Take and drink 1 – 2 litres of water for before, during and after training. It is not necessary to buy expensive “sports drinks”. Make up your own as follows: 25g glucose powder/1 litre water (or well-diluted diet squash) + a tiny pinch of salt, or drink just plain water. Keep your drink bottle in the boat and don’t be afraid to drink at regular intervals (rowing permitting!). Little and often is the best way to keep fluid levels topped up. Don’t forget that if you feel thirsty you are already dehydrated
3	For all meals, use the starchy food you are going to eat as the main item and make it the largest serving on your plate: pasta, rice, potatoes and so on. The sandwich is an ideal model for snack meals; so is cereal and milk.
4	Try to avoid eating sugary foods as a means of supplying energy. Eating some sweeter foods immediately after training, e.g., jam sandwiches, can be a pleasant way of topping up glycogen stores – but don’t overdo it.
5	Throughout the day, top up your main meals with high-carbohydrate snacks (see below for suggestions).
6	Eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is very important as the anti-oxidant vitamins they contain (A, C & E) help to maintain health when the body is stressed by heavy and prolonged exercise.

Snack Meals

Try some of the following to encourage regular eating of starchy food. To find out if a food is a good source of starch, look at the composition per 100g. “Carbohydrate” is divided into starches and sugars (your son can do this when he helps with the shopping!). Beware of some “low fat” snack products, which contain a very high proportion of carbohydrate as sugar.

Sandwiches – try using a range of breads e.g. Bagels, pittas, muffins.
Fillings – soft cheeses, low sugar jam/fruit spread, peanut butter + tomato. Low fat meat and fish spreads.
Waffles, potato cakes.
Fruit – especially bananas. Dried fruit too – raisins, apricots, etc.
Crisps and similar snacks in moderation (mainly supply fat – read the label)
Muesli bars, scones, fruit cakes, fig rolls, Jaffa cakes (treat to eat after a race!)
Cereals – not the sugary varieties – Weetabix and milk is easy to eat in large quantities.
Hot cereals - porridge or muesli with hot milk – especially for cold mornings.
Soup - good for after an outing and can help to wash down a larger number of sandwiches!