Fueling for Long Erg Sessions

She rows a 90-minute steady-state erg piece every Saturday. By minute 70, her power fades, her form breaks down, and she is just surviving. She has never consumed calories during an erg session. Adding 30–60 g of carbohydrate per hour — a sports drink sipped between pieces — would maintain her blood glucose and let her hold technique through the final 20 minutes. Flowbase Intra-Session Fueling ERG TRAINING Carbohydrate intake recommendations based on session duration and intensity. Intra-Session Fueling Protocol Duration threshold → Carb intake → Glucose maintenance → Sustained output Water only, no fueling needed 60–90 30 g carbs per hour 90–120 30–60 g carbs per hour > 120 60–90 g carbs per hour

Jeukendrup (2014) established the framework for intra-exercise carbohydrate consumption: sessions under 60 minutes rarely benefit from fueling, sessions of 60–90 minutes benefit from 30 g/hour of any carbohydrate source, and sessions exceeding 90 minutes benefit from 60–90 g/hour using multiple transportable carbohydrates (glucose + fructose). ∧ Flowbase Fueling for Long Erg SessionsSessions exceeding 60 minutes on the erg deplete glycogen faster than on-water rowing. Intra-session fueling turns survival into productivity. Noah Wickliffe, M.S. · Founder, MyoSport Inc. · 5 min read

For erg sessions specifically, the seated position and continuous effort make solid food impractical during rowing. Liquid carbohydrate (sports drink at 6–8% concentration) or semi-liquid options (gels with water) consumed during rest intervals are the most practical delivery method. Sipping 200–300 mL of a 6% carbohydrate drink every 15–20 minutes delivers approximately 30–40 g/hour. The cognitive benefit of intra-session carbohydrate is often more important than the metabolic benefit. Carter et al. (2004) showed that simply rinsing the mouth with a carbohydrate solution improved exercise performance by 2–3% through central nervous system activation — even when the carbohydrate was not swallowed. For shorter sessions (45–60 min), mouth-rinsing may provide a performance boost without GI concern. “The erg does not lie, and neither does your glycogen tank. Fuel sessions longer than 60 minutes and you will see the difference in the last 20.” — Noah Wickliffe, Flowbase Performance Series 30–60 gCarbs per hour for sessions > 60 min 6–8%Optimal carbohydrate drink concentration 2–3%Performance gain from carb mouth rinse

The Flowbase AI Coach reads your erg session plan — duration, intensity, interval structure — and recommends a specific intra-session fueling protocol. Short intervals get nothing; long steady-state gets timed carbohydrate prompts. It learns which products you tolerate and adjusts accordingly. The AI Coach matches your fueling to your session structure — because a 30-minute interval piece and a 90- minute steady-state row have completely different nutritional demands. Fuel Your Long Sessions Log your erg plan. Get session-specific fueling recommendations.