Fuel for the finish line

Cinching a recordbreaking 107 wins at the recently concluded Asian Games in Hangzhou India brought home 28 gold 38 silvers and 41 bronze medals With the countryrsquos medal tally breaching the threedigit mark for the first time in the history of the games nutritionist Krushmi Chhedamdashcoach to athletes like Neeraj Chopra Satwiksairaj Rankireddy and Chirag Shetty Rohan Bopanna Saurav Ghosal Dipika Pallikal and Vishnu Saravanan among othersmdashshares that nutritional requirements of athletes is as individualistic as one can fancySports scientist Krushmi ChhedaldquoWe follow a threepart 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 longterm and shortterm goals Then comes the bloodwork and body composition analysis which helps us understand if an athletersquos 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 donrsquot have underlying medical concerns that need to be addressed Finally the third aspect is preparing them for their peak performance Therersquos 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 eventrdquoSailingVishnu Saravanan right Ryan Lo Jun Han Ha Jeemin and SaravananWhen 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 itrsquos 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 categoryHaving said that a highcalorie 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 gymnastrsquos 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 roleGymnasticsBoth 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 compositionmdashThey 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 omega3 plays a vital role Foods rich in omega3 are antiinflammatory Antioxidants also help in recoveryChessshootingHas coached shooter Abhinav BindraThough 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 Irsquove worked with Abhinav Bindra and itrsquos 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 pilatesRacquet sportFor racquet sport one needs to reserve energy as well as have enough to pull off the intense bouts of thegame 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 energy3500 caloriesProbable caloric intake for a swimmer during the training phase The diet may comprise ample carbohydrates to sustain energy and retain muscle mass2000Probable calories for a gymnast who would be 53 feet and weigh between 50 and 58 kgs The diet may be high in vegetables good fats and low in carbohydrates