Expert Advice: What to Eat and Drink for the Perfect Indoor Rowing Training

Dr. Charlie Simpson, a lifelong rowing enthusiast with deep expertise in Sport and Exercise Science, is your go-to expert regarding food for long rows. At Oxford Brookes University, he’s teaching practical approaches that help athletes achieve more with their training through better choices about their food and drink. Charlie is currently researching how body mass changes affect performance and efficiency in rowing.

Question: Many rowers prefer to row early in the morning because of a busy schedule. Do you recommend drinking coffee to get energized and boost your metabolism?

Yes, coffee and any caffeine-containing drinks really do help rowers perform a little better. It’s not just effective to wake up in the morning, it’s a great way to help raise motivation at the end of the working day when rowers may feel mentally exhausted. That coffee on the way home from a long day at work might just be enough to give a jolt of enthusiasm to jump on the rowing machine rather than falling asleep on the couch.

Of course, there are cautionary notes here. Caffeine drinks do take a while to wear off so going to bed can be a bit harder and many rowers do find that caffeine (and especially coffee, which has much more in it than just caffeine) can upset their gastrointestinal (GI) system. As with many things in sport nutrition, it’s always best to try these things out during training and see what works.

Q: What’s the best go-to meal before a long indoor rowing session and how much time should ideally pass until your training for maximum energy levels right from the start?

To me, long rowing sessions are about 15-25 km and I aim for maximum effectiveness. As I’m planning to row between 3 and 5 PM, I ensure a good carbohydrate-rich lunch around noon including foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, and vegetables — with baby corn being a favorite. Two hours before my workout, I drink 500ml of water over 10 minutes, ensuring hydration without needing a bathroom break mid-session. Endurance athletes are encouraged to eat their last main meal about 2 to 5 hours before exercise and then light snacks and fluid in the last few hours. This approach, particularly with carbohydrate-rich foods, helps maintain blood glucose levels, making long sessions of 90 minutes or more feel easier.

I ensure a good carbohydrate-rich lunch around noon including foods like rice, pasta, potatoes, and vegetables — with baby corn being a favorite.

Q: Many rowers struggle with hydration as there seems to be no best way to drink water while erging: from Camelbaks to scheduled drink breaks, how do you best stay hydrated during a long indoor rowing session and not break the rhythm?

I have tried everything, including suspending a Camelbak system from my roof so that I can rehydrate hands-free and keep rowing without interruption. But a key point is if a rower makes an effort to start the session well-hydrated, they are already doing well. Many rowers start their training in a somewhat dehydrated state and that’s not easy to fix once the session begins. Another thing to pay close attention to is keeping their training space well-ventilated and as cool as possible. This is obviously not always possible, but opening windows, adding fans and doing anything to keep the room cool will mean less sweat loss and less risk of problematic dehydration.

When I am doing long easy sessions, I prefer to row one-handed and drink through a squeeze bottle. Lately, I have been using a large glass full of crushed ice and fruit juice which lets me benefit from fluid, sugar and a nice cold sensation. For me, it’s not a problem to stop for a brief moment to drink. Losing 5 or 10 seconds is time that can be gained back pretty quickly, especially because many rowing machines have some stored momentum in the flywheel making it easier to regain full rowing speed without having to start completely from a standstill.

Q: Often athletes are endorsed by sport nutrition brands, making them promote all sorts of products. Is there a cheaper (and perhaps more sustainable) option than bulk-buying energy bars and sports drinks?

Yes! There is nothing particularly special or magic in the commercial bars and drinks. Anything that has sugar, fluid and importantly tastes good will work just as well. In terms of benefits from homemade sport nutrition options, there is a pretty broad range of food and drink that can help rowers perform optimally and certainly perform better than eating and drinking nothing.

In terms of benefits from homemade sport nutrition options, there is a pretty broad range of food and drink that can help rowers perform optimally.

Natural fruit juice is great and if it’s too sweet, just add some water and even ice to make it more palatable. You could even just mix some fruit and water before and during training because it all gets mashed up in the stomach anyway.

Q: Sometimes it’s not your muscles but your digestion that keeps you from rowing a marathon. What food and drinks should you avoid if you suffer from heartburn during your workout?

I’d start by keeping a symptom diary and write down what I had eaten before my sessions and try to spot patterns. As a general rule, foods rich in fat and fiber are triggers for acid reflux and GI issues.

So for people who do find their gut holding them back, eating about 2 hours before training, choosing low-fat and low-fiber foods such as bananas, white bread or bagels and even light yogurts with jam spreads are all pretty safe choices.

Q: You often hear that to improve your performance in the long run, what you eat before rowing training is just as important as what you eat afterward. Is there any food or drink that helps with post-workout recovery?

I always recommend milk as an easy post-exercise food, even chocolate milk, because it is a good source of fluid, cost-efficient and full of carbohydrates and protein to start the refueling and regeneration process. Plus, its composition is pretty similar to protein shakes, especially if you choose the low-fat/skimmed milk variety. Athletes frequently avoid milk as a stand-alone drink before and during training for fear of GI discomfort, but these same athletes often ingest milk with their breakfast cereal and don’t suffer problems.

After a good indoor rowing session, I recommend making a tasty meal from ingredients like sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, rice, grilled chicken or tofu — all of which can be great for post-exercise recovery.

Q: As someone who was born into a family of rowers, what’s your personal life hack or secret tip regarding indoor rowing in general?

My biggest tip is to make training sustainable by learning the value of long easy paced rowing sessions. Over time, my casual Saturday afternoon group rowing sessions grew to up to 100 people from around the world training together in EXR! It’s a great feeling to just row together, each at their own pace, and cover a few kilometers.

Perhaps you can’t make it to an online event, but in any case, I recommend finding ways to make the workout appealing in its own way such as by arranging to row online in EXR with a friend. After work, I usually get ready to do my training on my Concept 2 dynamic ergometer, and of course, EXR is always on my screen.

I often row with my former on-water training partner in EXR. He lives in Canada and I live in England, but we regularly meet on EXR. That’s been a total revelation for me. Indoor rowing at home is not a solo pursuit anymore!

Kickstart your indoor rowing routine with EXR by starting your free trial!