Interview with Chief Nutritionist at Nutri4verve, Shivani Sikri : Tips on Nutrition and Diet for Sports Persons & Athletes
Shivani Sikri
OptimumDiet regime plays a decisive role in building muscle, fitness and regeneration, a very crucial criterion for the success of any sports person. As Co-founder & Chief Nutritionist at Nutri4Verve, Shivani Sikri looks after numerous clients from across the globe for holistic nutrition& knows very well about this important connection between diet and training. In this interview,she gives tips on nutrition and diet for sports persons and athletes.
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What should a healthy and balanced diet look like in everyday life?
A healthy and balanced diet contains all the important nutrients. This includes an optimal protein intake, sensible fats, necessary vitamins, minerals, trace elements and of course enough water. It is important to use unprocessed food whenever possible, i.e. natural products from good rearing, organic products without flavour enhancers, colourings and additives. The diet should contain as little chemicals as possible and give the body back the necessary resources.
Do you advise men and women to eat the same foods?
There are certain differences between men and women. “Men usually aim for muscle building and fitness whereas women also have to look after their hormonal balances after certain age.” Explains Shivani. As long as the ingredients are correct, it doesn't matter what you eat. Proteins from meat, but also from plant-based foods, can be absorbed well. It can become problematic if, for example, people eat too one-sidedly. Vegans could, for example, take in insufficient amounts of certain nutrients such as vitamin B12, iron, zinc or vitamin D, which then leads to an undersupply.
Are there big differences in optimal nutrition depending on the training program and goal or should a nutrition plan for athletes be relatively uniform?
The optimal diet is highly differentiated and always depends on the loads of the athlete. If this requires a high concentration, for example, a sharp reduction in carbohydrates is rather counterproductive. Avoiding carbohydrates is currently very trendy, but a distinction should be made between good (fruit, vegetables, lettuce, nuts, seeds) and bad carbohydrates (sugar, white flour, pastries, sweets). Overall, there is relatively little bad food. For example, a clear distinction must be made in the case of fats. There are fats that are good for the body (omega 9, omega 3 as well as DHA and EPE) and again fats that tend to harm the body (omega 6, saturated fats, trans fats). Therefore, for optimal care of the body, one should always pay attention to what loads an athlete is exposed to in his sport in order to then adjust the optimal diet accordingly. In competitive sports, the same diet is often recommended to every athlete, which is often noticeable. The footballer needs other priorities like the bodybuilder, sprinter or even a cricketer. In addition, there are differences in taste because not every athlete likes to eat the same things.
Is it advisable to eat shortly before and after training?
This is again related to individual cases and very much depends on what is eaten. Easily digestible foods are less of a problem than very fatty, protein-rich foods. I recommend that athletes or sports persons always build up their memory and resources in good time so that they do not have to eat much before training. However, if people are out on business all day, this is not always feasible. Then you have to weigh up whether eating before training doesn't make sense before it comes to the catabolic (degrading) effect.
How does diet differ during training and, for example, before competitions?
The competition differs from training in that many athletes are unable to eat a large amount before competitions because the excitement is very high. Others have no problem with it. In certain sports, so many intervals have to be driven that there is hardly any chance of eating properly in between because there is tension even in the breaks. The main questions here are: How stressful are meals before the competition for the stomach and can they influence my performance?
Do you advise professional athletes to use the same nutritional concept as the amateur cricketers or the occasional cyclist or runner?
Often professionals and recreational sports persons are not comparable in their daily routine. Professional athletes can determine their schedule differently and often lay their meals in such a way that it fits optimally. For recreational athletes, a lot also depends on their work situation, which is why it is a little more difficult for them to bring a continuous flow into their diet. However, the food composition should be similar for both in the same sport.
Is an occasional "sin" okay, or is it too damaging to the training goal?
Occasional sins are perfectly fine and absolutely necessary. Not necessarily before important events such as competitions or stressful days, but every now and then everyone needs something “for the soul”. I do not believe in strict bans because they are often not implemented. A failure of the right nutritional advice is often due to the fact that an attempt is made to prescribe a certain nutritional physiology to athletes or customers without directly addressing the individual needs. Long-term success is only feasible if the athlete and customer are convinced of what nutritional advice they are getting, and if this is integrated into their life cycle.
About the Diet Expert
Shivani Sikri is an internationally renowned award winning Nutritionist having more than a decade of experience. She has transformed thousands of lives from millennials to golden agers. As Chief Nutritionist & Co-founder at Nutri4Verve, Shivani recommends customised Indian versions of International Diets like Keto Diet (Veg/ Non Veg), Intermittent, Paleo and other top international fat loss targeting diets, in addition to well-balanced metabolic and combination based nutritionally rich diets so that the fat loss is easily attainable and everlasting by eating balanced healthy meals and through your home cooked food.
Website: www.nutri4verve.com
For Appointment : +91-8800339577
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