Concept2 Forum

Curious, but does it matter? Are there are advantages/disadvantages to either?

Reason I ask is because sometimes I come home after work and have
dinner, settle for an hour, then jump on the ERG. Other times I'm
not that hungry and ERG for a bit, then shower, then eat dinner.

Can anyone offer an insight? Thanks!

Well from a physiological point it's probably better to Erg before dinner. My opinion of the after dinner erging:

1- The body concentrates blood in the digestive tract during digestion, this is the reason we feel sleepy after a meal, which means it doesn't have as much blood available to supply the muscles. This means the workout will not be as effective.

2- It doesn't bode well to compress a full stomach during recovery. When I was a varsity swimmer we used to say one advantage of heavy exercise after a meal was you get to taste it twice...

3- If you are exercising for weight control, most of us don't eat as much immediately after exercise.

have 2 dinners...

You're less likely to hurl if you erg first.

I would say that in general you would be better off eating after, provided it hasn't been too awful long since you last ate. Being starved and attempting strenuous exercise will affect performance and motivation... In which case a piece of fruit right when you get home before your hour of decompression from work would likely suffice.

My 2 cents, I just ordered my D model the other day, shipped yesterday. But I think this applies to any workout(for me anyway)...

I use to have dinner with the kids, and erg about 15-30 min aftrewards.
You get used to it, but I suppose it would be better before eating.

If you run after dinner, it certainly helps to disconnect what your mind tells you to do, and what your body would prefer doing...

most people eat a dinner that is relatively high in protein (or at least people I know) because common dinners are steak, chicken, hamburgers, even pastas and many other common dinners are high in protein, and intaking hight amounts of protein (more than 10 grams per sitting) after an intense workout helps to significantly increase muscle mass and strength, so that will help you as a rower, but as some other people have said, the blood flow to your stomach may suffocate your muscles a little, so erg, shower wait a little so its been about 30 mins since you erged, then eat.

I regularly row after dinner, 9pm or so, because that is really the one time or the best time, I have. The kids have gone to bed by then usually. It is harder to row after dinner and there is no doubt that sometimes you won't feel that great.

If you are trying to lose weight, and are committed to rowing that night, the best thing about rowing after dinner is that you will be motivated to eat less.

If you erg before dinner, you have to wash the dishes after.
If you erg after, apart from having suicidal tendencies, you'll have to ccok the dinner first.
Your choice; NB when offered two choices, you have five alternatives: the one, the other, both, neither, something else.
I'd prefer to have the will power to do something else: 40' in the morning at 5-6 am.