Proper nutrition is needed to support the demands of intense physical activity, including full-body exercise such as rowing. However, this sport is often associated with a focus on low body fat and dietary restriction. PURPOSE: To explore the relationship between dietary intake and exercise performance among male collegiate rowers. METHODS: Participants from a NCAA Division 1 men`s crew team (N = 20, 20.5 ± 1.3 years) completed a 2 km time trial twice, separated by 3 months. Participant body composition was also measured (BodPod), and dietary intake was assessed using a novel visual algorithm tool (DietID™). RESULTS: Performance on the 2 km time significantly decreased by an average of 4.9 ± 2.7 seconds from trial 1 to trial 2 (6:13 vs. 6:08, p <.001), with a 1 second significant decrease in split time (1:33 in trial 1 vs. 1:32 in trial 2, p <.001). Absolute exercise output significantly improved by 17 ± 9 Watts over the two trials (430 ± 24 vs. 447 ± 21, p <.001) along with relative exercise output (4.7 ± 0.2 Watts/kg vs. 4.8 ± 0.3 Watts/kg, p <.001). Total dietary intake was 3844 ± 163 kcals, and Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score was 68 ± 21. HEI score was inversely correlated with the change in 2 km total time (R = -.487, p = .048) and split time (R = -.494, p = .044). Relative calorie intake (kcal/kg) was strongly correlated with change in exercise output (Watts/kg) (R =.638, p = .006). Macronutrient intake (total or grams per kg) was not significantly correlated with any 2 km time metric or change in 2 km performance. Body fat (13 ± 4%) was directly correlated with changes in 2 km total time (R = .581, p = .014) and split time (R = .585, p = .014). Body fat was inversely correlated with both absolute (R = -.552, p = .022) and relative (R = -.700, p = .002) changes in exercise output. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that higher diet quality, along with sufficient caloric intake, supports the improvement in time trial performance among male collegiate rowers. SIGNIFICANCE/NOVELTY: Evaluating the relationship between dietary intake and exercise performance in male collegiate rowers has not been explored previously. Use of the DietID™ tool allowed for a quick assessment using a visual comparison to determine overall diet quality. The results support the need for nutrition education and monitoring of dietary intake to ensure that adequate calorie intake occurs among collegiate athletes.
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