Tom Kay has been a lightweight international oarsman since 1989. He has raced at nine world
championships and two Olympics. He has four World Championship medals, three of which are gold. At
the time of writing Tom was preparing for the World Championships in the lightweight double with the aim
to continue on to the Athens Olympics.
"During the winter my weight when I am training can be as high as 79kg and if I am not training that goes
quickly up to 84kg. This means that I have to be aware of my diet throughout the year. If I am not I find
myself over 80kg, and this would make it very difficult for me to reach my racing weight of 71kg. I try to
come down to weight gradually over the year so that I am close to the 75kg limit required for the winter
trials, and then can, if necessary, sweat down to reach weight.
"This year I have been working with a nutritionist, and have been keeping a diary of my food intake and
counting the calories of the foods I am eating. This has had two benefits for me. I know that a person of
my size with my training load should require between 3,000 and 3,500 calories per day so I try to maintain
an energy intake of between 2,000 and 2,500 calories. The second benefit is that my diary of food intake
has also been analysed to ensure that I am getting all of the required dietary constituents and as a result of
this I am taking the required supplements."
It is just over three weeks until the World Championships: how heavy are you now and are you on target
to make weight?
"At the moment I am 74kg and am happy that I am on target to make the 71kg I need to be on race day.
The last few weeks have been difficult for me as I have been unwell and I always struggle to know
whether to eat well to help get better more quickly or to continue dieting. For me, losing three kilos in the
last few weeks is normal. At the first race of the season I am normally 74kg a couple of days before
weigh-in and I struggle to make weight but, as the season progresses, my body weight comes down
gradually and so by the World Championships I should be on weight without losing any strength."
How will you approach the last few days before your race?
"During the last week I will aim to lower my body weight by reducing food intake whilst keeping a
balanced diet including maintaining my protein intake, without which the body burns its own stores e.g.
muscle, as well as maintaining my intake of vegetables and salads which, whilst being more or less free
calorifically, contain vital nutrients. The day of the race I aim to wake up at 72kg which leaves me only 1kg
to sweat out before the weigh-in."
