Excerpts of an exclusive conversation between IndiGlobal Media Network and Shona Prabhu:
Enriching experience of working with hard working athletes
I’ve had the privilege to work with athletes belonging to different regions in India, from different sports, and in different capacities. From the Hockey teams to Delhi Capital’s, IPL team, and also working individually with different athletes, it’s been very enriching, because in the process I have been able to learn so much about different sports, about the culture, about the struggles athletes go through, and how they work hard to make everything work for them.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swE6CvmpowA
Concept of Nutrition still not very widespread in India
Working with different teams has made me understand that the concept of nutrition is not widespread in India. It is still a new concept for a lot of athletes, because the majority of athletes come from middle class or lower middle-class backgrounds. To be able to give them advice that can actually help them in their sport is fulfilling because nutrition is something that they require every day. To be able to give them knowledge and insights into how they can improve themselves has been actually very satisfying.
Working with athletes of different sports is demanding and yet fulfilling
When I work with the hockey teams, the demands for that sport might be very different from working with cricket teams who have more luxuries and privileges. There are also individual athletes that I consult, like those from swimming etc. which is a completely different ballgame. They are training for at least three -four hours in a day. They are young athletes, a lot of them are student athletes, so it’s very different but full of fun and fulfilling at the same time.
The diet or the nutrition needs for an athlete are extremely important just for the simple reason that it provides them the energy to train. For a lot of people, three to four hours of exercise in a week is difficult. Compared to that, for an athlete three to four hours or even more is something that they have to do every day without any excuses. So, diet plays a very important role because it gives the energy to train that long.
Secondly, it helps them to recover well. When they finish the training, it is easy for them to go back to the next day if the diet is good. So, diet for an athlete is very supportive to what they do. It is an integral part of the triangle or the pyramid that they follow – diet, training, and sleep. All of these go hand in hand. There are a lot of athletes who are talented and hard-working but without the right sort of food, they lack the energy to train well. So, instead of giving their full 100%, they are only able to give 40- 50%. Taking them from 50% to say 70-80-90% makes a whole lot of difference for them.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swE6CvmpowA
It’s not just food but the right kind of food that matters
Athletes need to take a food first approach. A lot of times when we talk about athletes and their diet, the first thing that comes up in most sports people’s minds is what supplements do I need to take and how do I eat something in the form of a tablet or capsule or powder, that will give me that extra boost, extra energy. But the focus really needs to be on educating them appropriately. Athletes in India eat to fill their stomachs. As long as the stomachs feel okay, they go on with it and continue with their training. However, it is significant for them to understand things like exactly what our food is made up of and then take the right sort of nutrition, the right kind of foods and eat at the right time to get the best of performance.
So, diet is very integral and a basic foundation for performance in sports. In the West, a lot of focus is given on first correcting the food habits before anything else. Since we are talking about POSHAN MAAH(Nutrition Month), the focus is on lactating and pregnant women, and a lot of Indian athletes as well, especially females are anemic. It’s a big issue among female athletes in India. A lot of times it’s because they don’t have the right sort of diet and that interferes directly with how well they can perform, how well their stamina, endurance, immunity, and energy levels are.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swE6CvmpowA
Government has made initiatives to put nutrition in priority
The government has taken a lot of good steps lately, at least to bring the concept of nutrition as priority. To begin with the Sports Authority of India, they have made sure that most of these centers, across India, have a nutritionist on board, which was not the case a few years ago. When I started working with the hockey team, at that point, they did not have a sports nutritionist on ground. But now there is a switch to it and the situation has definitely improved.
Hence for starters, giving all the athletes access to a professional so that they can discuss their issues with respect to food, and get the right guidance is definitely a good step forward. Along with the nutritionist, there are professional chefs for them who are part of the team now, which is a very good improvement, in my opinion. Chefs are trained in how to cook well, and to maintain radiance, good quality, etc. of the food. It ensures that athletes are getting good quality food, they’re getting tasty food, they’re getting food that is appealing to them, because all of these things matter at the end of the day. For women, I don’t think there are any specific initiatives that have been taken. But I think the ones that I just mentioned are for the general athlete population and women will benefit from that as well.
Nutrition in children pursuing sports – family eating habits matter a lot!
When it comes to nutrition, I think there should be a sort of ecosystem or environment of eating healthy at home. When you are dealing with young children aspiring to represent the country in sports, they’re going to take a lot of what’s happening from home, and the environment needs to be supported. So, for instance, you can’t just have an aspiring athlete eating certain things, while the rest of the family is having junk food and eating whatever they feel like, especially in front of the children. So, it needs to be more like a family effort.
Nutrition needs to be something that is ingrained from an early stage. So, just learning more about what they need to eat, what is involved in it, being curious about it, reading about it – all of these little things have to happen organically. It’s something that parents are also required to take a keen interest in.
Athletes should possess cooking skills
Athletes need to learn how to cook. This is a very important skill irrespective of gender. Every athlete needs to learn this life skill, because it comes in handy in different situations. A lot of times you don’t get access to good food, but if you have the skill, or you have the resources to make something quick, you can definitely ensure that you are feeding yourself the right way.
Satisfaction of being Sports Consultant of athletes representing India
It’s something that really makes me happy. Working in this profession and having the privilege to work with so many different athletes feels good. Helping them in something that is really making a difference in their lives especially in India, where value given to nutrition is still at its nascent stage, is fulfilling. I’ve been in this profession for 10 years now. From where I started to where it has come now is praise-worthy. It’s very good to see the change that has been! Though the changes are happening slowly, it’s definitely happening and it’s positive change.
I got into sports nutrition because I was an athlete when I was a student. I used to play badminton. So, taking that sort of passion and having the interest to learn about food and nutrition helped me in my own sport at that point. Having hands-on experience and being able to pass it on to other athletes, is something I look forward to every day.
Message for parents and children aspiring to be athletes
In the past, athletes in India would eat to fill their stomachs. Now, the level of performance, the level of athletes that are produced worldwide require great calibre. If your child has the dream to become an athlete, he/she is definitely in the right space right now in India because there is so much more support given to young athletes. There is so much access to professionals that they can consult. The sports ecosystem is getting better and there are lots of corporates coming out to sponsor athletes. So, their dream is something that you can definitely make the reality of. In any career, the struggles will be there but if you have taken the right steps, you can make a career that you dream about.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=swE6CvmpowA