Supplements and anything else to help with a 2k attempt...

[Dangerscouse]

I still have it every day but just a heaped teaspoon and no more.

That sounds alot. I think most take 3-5g/day of Creatine Mono.

OP - nothing legal will make that much difference IMO. And I've tried most things. All I will add is that creatine I think is useful for lifting (few extra reps and better recovery), caffeine definitely, beetroot etc I don't think so (I believe the better trained you are the less likley is it to work, look into citrulline malate), sodium phosphate - maybe (I once had an erroneous result with that on the bike many years ago). I think there are are other beneficial things for the long term and some of these do work...things that help with sleep, recovery and maybe even cumulative stress.

I think training will obviously make the biggest difference - both mental and physical. Look into 8x500m and 4x1K sessions, and maybe 2Ks done at 95% to build confidence and nip the habit of HD (handle down) in the bud should it rear its head.

Haha, I meant a scoop full! It's about 5g.

Totally agree with you on Citrulline Malate, I have had that and not noticed any difference whatsoever. Beetroot I'm persevering with, albeit I can't notice anything obvious but I guess that's part of the issue: you can't do a directly comparable session without it, as tiredness, CNS, stress etc all have an effect on how a session feels. At least it's one of my five a day!

[Allan Olesen]

Thanks. That's helpful.

Thanks.

I see what you did there!

[jackarabit]

Wheat and chaff.

[Gammmmo]

Wheat and chaff.

Not if you're Coeliac (Celiac) like me. Kryptonite

[Garnett]

OP - nothing legal will make that much difference IMO...
...
...nip the habit of HD (handle down) in the bud should it rear its head.

Thanks a lot - much appreciated.

What do you mean by "handle down"? I still dip "to get the oar out" 15 years after last going out on the water - is that what you mean? Cutting it out feels like cheating!

[Erik A]

HD+= Handle down = you have stopped rowing and put the handle down.... usually because you cant go any more or the nasty people in your head make you stop

[mdpfirrman]

I'm fairly well connected to a lot of supplement/nutraceutical people on LinkedIn. Recently had heard (late last year) about Vitamin K2 being studied for increasing cardio output. Was a bit confused on some of the information being put out by the nutraceutical company, so I contacted the author of the study itself and he sent the study to me. K2 is a form of Vitamin K that has benefits for the heart and also for the bones. My very layman understanding is that it helps tell the body where to deposit calcium -- in the bones, not the arteries. Many think it's the missing ingredient to better bone health in the modern Western Diet as well as better heart health. We consume loads of calcium and Vitamin D, yet have terrible heart disease and brittle bones. Many believe that it's because our bodies accumulate the calcium in the arteries! Calcification of arteries is a term for a reason.

What this study did was look at Vitamin K2 as a performance enhancer. Although the study said that it improved total cardio output, to me, it seems like it's better suited for reducing the time to improve aerobic capacity after a layoff. I do think that most should supplement with it regardless of if it helps with rowing. It's one of those things that are ancestors ate a ton of. It's naturally occurring in grass fed head/organ meats (I know I don't eat much of that), grass fed cheeses/dairy, especially gouda I believe and in Japanese Natto, something I know I won't touch. Many believe it's why the Japanese have very little heart issues and good bones.

The confusion I had is that the article said to take 300mg a day. It was actually 300 mcg of a certain type of K2 (MK-7). If anyone is interested in the study, PM me your email and I'll send it to you.

Aside from what others have mentioned, Astaxanthin is great too. Fantastic for recovery/inflammation and Ironman athletes have taken it for years to improve performance. It's red algae derived. It works fantastic for pain (especially back pain) if coupled with Omega3s (that's essentially what Krill Oil is). Seems it works better together. Huge oxidative stress support.

[Dangerscouse]

The other one I do like is glutamine. I'm fairly convinced that it helps with avoiding colds etc. I have been taking it for years and when I stop, if for only a short time, I do seem to get run down easier and get a cold.

[jackarabit]

I mixed 4.5g of L-glutamine in chocolate milk over approximately 3 months (66 doses). I didn’t catch colds. I did gain weight.

[Dangerscouse]

I mixed 4.5g of L-glutamine in chocolate milk over approximately 3 months (66 doses). I didn’t catch colds. I did gain weight.

Hahaha

[Garnett]

Whoop whoop! 6:38.00

Managed to beat my 15 year old pb by 1 second! Absolutely buzzing!

[jackarabit]

All natural is the best buzz, eh? Congrats.

[Ombrax]

Whoop whoop! 6:38.00

Managed to beat my 15 year old pb by 1 second! Absolutely buzzing!

All that "Spanish beef" pays off !

[Dangerscouse]

Whoop whoop! 6:38.00

Managed to beat my 15 year old pb by 1 second! Absolutely buzzing!

Yes. Congrats on the PB Garnett. Great effort

[bob01]

No ones mentioned the placebo effect