Fuel for the finish line

You were enthralled watching them at the Asian Games on TV. Now nutrition coach to top athletes who brought home medals at this and previous competitions shares how athletic demands vary for each sport

Cinching a record-breaking 107 wins at the recently concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou, India brought home  28 gold, 38 silvers and 41 bronze medals. With the country’s medal tally breaching the three-digit mark for the first time in the history of the games, nutritionist Krushmi Chheda—coach to athletes like Neeraj Chopra, Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty, Rohan Bopanna, Saurav Ghosal, Dipika Pallikal, and Vishnu Saravanan, among others—shares that nutritional requirements of athletes is as individualistic as one can fancy. 

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Sports scientist Krushmi Chheda 

“We follow a three-part approach while working with an athlete. One aspect is ascertaining that their training is sustainable so that they can perform at the desired intensity. This can be done by understanding their long-term and short-term goals. Then comes the blood-work and body composition analysis, which helps us understand if an athlete’s body is aligned with the amount of load they are set to put themselves through. We learn about their deficiencies, take corrective measures, and ensure they don’t have underlying medical concerns that need to be addressed. Finally, the third aspect is preparing them for their peak performance. There’s no point if one pulls off their fastest sprint much before the actual event. Sometimes, we reduce load before the main event, and at other times, we make them work at the maximum intensity closer to the event.” 

Sailing

Vishnu Saravanan; (right)  Ryan Lo Jun Han, Ha Jee-min and Saravanan

When it comes to a sport like sailing, one needs to maximise the calories they consume, because they want to build a lot of muscle mass. Paradoxically, it’s a sport that also uses a lot of energy, so building and retaining that muscle mass is not all that easy. Also, we must account for the fact that sailors have to meet their desired weight category. 

Having said that, a high-calorie diet need not imply one must consume a lot of food. Small portions can still have ample calories and nutrients in the desired amounts. Protein is also an essential aspect, but people forget that eating a lot of protein alone is not sufficient for recovery. This is an aspect that we refer to as protein sustenance. The body turns to carbohydrates, fats and protein for energy. But we want  the protein to be conserved for muscle building and recovery. So, we need to provide adequate carbohydrates and fats to the body so that it does not [utilise] protein as its energy source. Typically, a gymnast’s diet will have more vegetables and good fats, and less carbs. Given that gymnasts also have a high risk of injuries, strength training plays an important role.

Gymnastics

Both strength and flexibility are vital components for a gymnast. We cannot not load them with extra food because we have to keep a watch on their body composition—They have to be lean, and also meet their weight categories. However, attention is paid on ensuring that they get the required nutrients for recovery, considering the amount of load that the body is put through. Given the nature of the sport, for a gymnast, conserving energy is important. When we talk about recovery, omega-3 plays a vital role. Foods rich in omega-3 are anti-inflammatory. Antioxidants also help in recovery. 

Chess/shooting

Has coached shooter Abhinav Bindra

Though sports like chess and shooting are not considered physically demanding, athletes who practice them still need to adhere to an exercise and nutrition plan. The brain still needs to be fuelled, which is why many of them travel with chefs because they understand how food affects their brain. I’ve worked with Abhinav Bindra, and it’s important to understand that even holding the rifle and maintaining the posture to shoot requires immense stability of the core muscles. That is why we would practice pilates. 

Racquet sport

For racquet sport one needs to reserve energy as well as have enough to pull off the intense bouts of the 
game tactfully. So, we address both energy systems. An athlete needs to last on the court for the entire duration, so, there is a particular eating pattern that we have them adopt. Their meal plan on the day of the game is different from the one they follow during training. Carbohydrates that are rich in fibre and nutrients, and fats that come from nuts, seeds and avocados, bring about the desired results. Vitamins like zinc and magnesium, and vitamin A and C are important. Fruits provide quick release  of energy. 

3,500 calories
Probable caloric intake for a swimmer during the training phase. The diet may comprise ample carbohydrates to sustain energy and retain muscle mass.

2,000
Probable calories for  a gymnast who would be 5.3 feet and weigh between 50 and 58 kgs. The diet may be high in vegetables, good fats, and low in carbohydrates.

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