title: Acute weight loss followed by an aggressive nutritional recovery strategy has little impact on on-water rowing performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the influence of moderate, acute weight loss on on-water rowing performance when aggressive nutritional recovery strategies were used in the two hours between weigh in and racing.
  
  
  METHODS
  Competitive rowers (n = 17) undertook three on-water 1800 m time trials under cool conditions (mean (SD) temperature 8.4 (2.0) degrees C), each separated by 48 hours. No weight limit was imposed for the first time trial--that is, unrestricted body mass (UNR1). However, one of the remaining two trials followed a 4% loss in body mass in the previous 24 hours (WT(-4%)). No weight limit was imposed for the other trial (UNR2). Aggressive nutritional recovery strategies (WT(-4%), 2.3 g/kg carbohydrate, 34 mg/kg Na+, and 28.4 ml/kg fluid; UNR, ad libitum) were used in the first 90 minutes of the two hours between weigh in and performance trials.
  
  
  RESULTS
  WT(-4%) had only a small and statistically non-significant effect on the on-water time trial performance (mean 1.0 second, 95% confidence interval (CI) -0.9 to 2.8; p = 0.29) compared with UNR. This was despite a significant decrease in plasma volume at the time of weigh in for WT(-4%) compared with UNR (-9.2%, 95% CI -12.8% to -5.6%; p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Acute weight loss of up to 4% over 24 hours, when combined with aggressive nutritional recovery strategies, can be undertaken with minimal impact on on-water rowing performance, at least in cool conditions.
authors.affiliation: Australian Institute of Sport, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Slater
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Rice
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sharpe
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gore
authors.forename: D G
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Hahn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010809:Physical Fitness / Q000502:physiology*; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*