Bruce Ware spoke to the Coach Mastermind Group
Supplements for Masters Rowers: Eat Well, Then Close the Gaps
Is your diet really enough to support the training you're asking of your body? Or are you spending money on supplements that do more for the marketing department than for your rowing?
In this episode you'll discover why the official dietary guidelines are a floor for survival rather than a target for masters athletes, and how much protein an active older rower actually needs to recover and build strength.
Our guest Bruce, a 68-year-old sculler and former bodybuilder with a career in statistics and experimental design, walks us through the short list of supplements he believes are worth the money, the ones he's quietly dropped, and what a real week of eating looks like when you're lifting heavy two to three times a week and rowing on the other days.
You'll also hear practical tips from the Q&A on snacking, pre-bed protein, eating before early sessions, and why "know your own body" is the best rule of all.
Key takeaways
Eat well, then close the gaps. Food comes first, and supplements fill the shortfall between what your diet supplies and what your training demands. Bruce's two non-negotiables are protein and creatine monohydrate.
Protein needs are higher than the guidelines suggest. The standard recommendation of 0.8 g per kg of body weight is a minimum. Bruce works to around 1.6 g per kg and spreads it across four or five meals or snacks, because older bodies make better use of protein in regular smaller doses than in one big meal.
Creatine is the best-researched supplement there is. Most of us get only a gram or two a day from food. Bruce takes 5 g of creatine monohydrate daily in his morning coffee, and talks about the emerging (and still early) research into creatine and brain health.
Be sceptical of the next big thing. Magnesium helps Bruce sleep but hasn't touched his cramps. Collagen may or may not help his joints, but it adds 18 g of protein to his day, so it stays.
Recovery is where masters rowers win or lose. You don't get stronger in the gym, you get stronger recovering from it, and sleep is where most of that repair happens.
Episode timeline
00:00 Welcome, and what supplementation is actually aiming at
01:45 Bruce's story: a holiday photo, a "dad bod" and a move into bodybuilding, then rowing
05:15 What a masters athlete needs: nutrition, strength, power, endurance, recovery and sleep
07:30 Why early strength gains come from the nervous system before the muscles grow
08:00 Training versus practice, and rowing as a hybrid endurance and power sport
10:15 Recovery, age-related decline and protecting yourself from injury
12:30 The official dietary guidelines and why they're bare minimums
15:00 Protein: how much, where to get it, plant proteins and amino acids
19:00 Why spreading protein across the day matters for older athletes
19:30 Creatine monohydrate: dose, saturation and the different forms
23:30 Creatine and the brain
24:45 Research versus marketing: magnesium and collagen
27:45 Bruce's own numbers: calories, protein, carbs and fat
29:45 What he eats on lifting days and rowing days
33:00 Q&A: snacks, nuts, a protein shake before bed and peanut butter before early outings
35:15 Tracking workouts and concurrent strength and conditioning
37:15 Power strokes in steady state sessions, and the UT versus category naming muddle
40:30 Why don't the guidelines differ by age or sex?
42:00 Science versus art: should your arms bend at the catch?
44:00 Know your own body, and wrap-up
Resources mentioned
Bruce's slides: below
Nutrition Intensive with sports dietitian Elizabeth Avery
Polar Flow (workout and heart rate tracking app)
Join a future Coach Mastermind session.
This episode is for general education only and isn't medical advice. Check with your doctor or a registered dietitian before starting any supplement, particularly if you have a health condition or take medication.
