No cheat meals, elimination of carbs and addition of caffeine: Suryakumar Yadav has taken the road less traveled to get to the top. His 360-degree game was accomplished thanks to systemic planning, and changing dietary habits was one of his greatest accomplishments off the field. Renowned dietitian and sports nutritionist Shweta Bhatia, who has worked with the world’s number one T20I batter, gave some great insights into how meticulously the cricketer planned work on his body. “We have been working with him for the past year. He was looking to improve his overall fitness. I helped him refocus his understanding of sports nutrition,” Bhatia told PTI on Monday.
Bhatia said Surya’s diet was based on a five-point agenda. First, improve performance during both training and competition. Second and most important, help him keep body fat within the athletic zone (12-15%).
Third, his diet should help him stay cognitively alert/energetic. The fourth point was about reducing the need to constantly refuel with less draft. Last but not least, was promoting recovery, which is a must for any athlete.
To increase his agility level, Bhatia reduced his carbohydrate intake to a minimum for optimal results.
“The latest research shows how to not only maintain performance, but also improve it with a structured low-carb plan,” she said.
“We have removed excess carbohydrates from Surya’s diet. His diet consists of healthy fats such as nuts and Omega 3 fatty acids. He consumes a lot of premium protein from non-vegetarian sources (eggs, meat, fish), dairy and fiber-rich carbohydrates from vegetables.” Hydration is paramount to an athlete that includes fluid and electrolytes.
“Hydration guidelines that are liquid and electrolytes are provided for the intra-competition/intra-training period. Activity-specific, sports performance-enhancing supplements are added before, during and after training.
“These include whey protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, joint health supplements to name a few. The basic plan is adjusted from time to time according to the competition, training and travel schedules. I plan the menu, suggest healthy alternatives and cuisines for to avoid monotony,” Bhatia added.
Surya’s extraordinary decisiveness has left the cricketing universe in awe, and this is the reward for the incredible amount of work he has put in over the past year to reach peak fitness resulting in better execution.
If Surya’s six of a 135-mph delivery from pacer Richard Ngarava was a mix of skill, timing and explosive power, caffeine could be one of the contributors.
Caffeine is a power booster and is one of the “strength supplements” that Surya drinks, which helps generate explosive power.
“I work with his strength and conditioning coach. I am informed about the training protocols and the diet is adjusted accordingly. Supplements have been added that increase the power. In general, the diet should match the training intensity for best results.”
Surya doesn’t believe in cheat meals
The hunger to succeed, and the subsequent achievements, requires extreme sacrifice. The hardest part is letting go of life’s little pleasures, like an ice cream at the end of a dinner, or enjoying a mutton biryani or a pizza.
Bhatia is extremely proud of her client.
“Surya has the mentality of an elite athlete and prioritizes his performance above everything else. So cheat meals are a rarity. He has not craved junk food or comfort food since he started the diet.
“If it gets monotonous, healthier options are considered. If he feels like it, cheat meals are planned strategically. I guide him with the amount and time of consumption so it doesn’t hinder his performance.” After the Mumbaikar extended his dream run in the T20 World Cup for a blistering half-century against Zimbabwe on Sunday, head coach Rahul Dravid also spoke about how Surya has taken care of his body.
promoted
“When I look at Surya from a few years ago, just to see how he takes care of his body and how much time he spends on his fitness, I think he really deserves the reward for a lot of the hard work he’s put in. he’s been deployed on and off the pitch, and may it stay that way for a long time,” said Dravid.
(This story was not edited by DailyExpertNews staff and was generated automatically from a syndicated feed.)
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