Lightweight rowers must constantly face weigh-ins, and are thus concerned with techniques to lose
weight without losing strength and endurance. Weight should be lost gradually through a combination of
reduced calories from food and increased calorie expenditure via more intense, frequent and longer
duration workouts. Try to limit weight loss to a maximum of 1% of current body weight per week. By
using a two-pronged approach, reducing calorific intake and increasing energy expenditure through
exercise, the weight is more likely to be kept off rather than regained, and most of the weight lost is fat
rather than lean muscle mass.
When losing weight, it is important for males to consume a minimum of 1,500 to 1,800 calories per day
and for females to not go below 1,000 to 1,200 calories per day. Going below these minimum calorie
levels risks a low intake of vitamins, minerals and protein, thus compromising nutritional health. When
cutting calories, start with alcohol and then look for foods high in fat and sugar, as these are expendable.
Fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, skimmed milk, fish, poultry, and lean red
meats should provide the basis for a weight loss diet. It is neither necessary nor desirable to eliminate any
food group from a reduced calorie diet - simply choose those foods within each group that contain fewest
calories from fat, and eat smaller servings of all foods.
Don't neglect fluids. Even when trying to lose weight, the body should be kept adequately hydrated.
Losing water weight is deceiving - the scale may register a lower number of pounds or kilogrammes, but it
is weight that must be replaced for safe and optimal training and performance. Weight loss should mean
fat loss not water loss. The practice of losing water weight by excessive sweating, use of diuretics,
laxatives, even enemas prior to weigh-in, and then planning on whatever time is available (often little or
none) between weigh-in and race time to rehydrate the body to normal levels, is risky at best and
dangerous at worst. It should be noted that the use of diuretics is banned. Research at Ohio University's
Human Performance Laboratory has shown a decrease in aerobic endurance occurs with as little as 2% of
body weight lost through dehydration, and a decrease in strength has been documented when 3 to 5% of
weight is lost through dehydration. Furthermore, one should probably allow a minimum of six hours to
completely rehydrate the fluid depleted body. Although weight regain will occur in less time when
rehydrating, it takes more than five hours for fluid to become evenly distributed to all the cells, where it is
essential for proper metabolism.
