How much water should be drank in between rowing races at a regatta? Races are 2km take approx 7.3-8.5mins.

How much water should be drank in between rowing races at a regatta? Races are 2km take approx 7.3-8.5mins. Rowers may have up to 4 races a day.
Also food between races to refuel. How much and when is the best time to eat?

It’s good to see you are providing nutrition information for your young athletes. Not only will a good diet improve performance, it is vital to meet the body’s demands for nutrients, which are high. Children need extra nutrients to support growth, which begins in girls at 10 years and in boys at 12 years. Approximately half of adult bone structure is deposited during adolescence. Both boys and girls need minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc to support increasing bone mass, muscle mass and a larger blood supply during the teen years. Believe it or not it is the training diet or day-to-day diet that really determines performance.

The key factors in the day-to-day diet are
1.    Adequate calories (girls must consume enough food or they will sacrifice lean body mass (muscle, bones and fluid). They must be sure to eat enough calories to adequately recover from training session.
2.    Carbohydrates – carbohydrates are stored in the muscle, to perform consistently in training or on race day the diet must include enough carbohydrates to keep the muscles full. Carbohydrates also hold water within the muscle so they help with hydration.
3.    Hydration – athletes need to stay hydrated on a daily basis – not just on race day.

Race day
By the time race day comes around the girls should be fully hydrated and nourished. They need to have a good breakfast early so that it is digested prior to the first race. Maybe a sports drink that is easy to digest before the start (1 hour before). The rest time in-between each race is the ideal time for them to rehydrate and refuel. Muscles can store 2 times the amount of carbohydrate within the first 30 minutes after exercise. This glucose stays in the muscle until the next race. Ideal snacks are low fat energy bars with water, sandwiches with chicken, a bagel with peanut butter  or low-fat yoghurt with fruit and nuts. Short races might not deplete carbohydrate too much if the girls are well feed the day before and in the morning.  Too much water can be a problem too. Your kidneys can only process up to a litre an hour.  2 litres a day of fluid plus an additional liter for each hour of training is a general guide, the most important thing is that they drink water before they start and after each race and that they are hydrated in the days leading up to the event.
- Jacquie