With the sports industry breaking records year after year, the demands from athletes have also grown exponentially. Being a professional at the highest level is not just about training hard anymore but also involves a variety of facets such as mental wellness, nutrition and adequate rest which can greatly influence an athlete’s ability to perform to their highest potential.
In this exclusive interview with SPOGO, sports nutritionist Mitali Ambekar speaks about the importance and evolution of her role in the industry, mental wellness, awareness of nutrition at the grassroot level, use of supplements and much more!
Q 1) Are sports nutritionists as important as coaches in this day and age? How does nutrition enhance performance?
Yes, sports nutritionists are as important as coaches to ensure that the athlete’s performance is at peak. Nutrition can impact speed, endurance, strength, power and it differs in every sport. It is not just about eating well, it's also about the recovery, the fueling before and after the session and the hydration strategy done well. These are all the much needed aspects which are completely in regards to food in terms of performance enhancement progress.
Q 2) How has the role of nutritionists changed in recent times?
Nutrition was counted as just a part of well-being and not something to focus on. Initially it was a question whether it’s needed or not. Now it is a crucial aspect of an athlete’s success, and it’s role has become much bigger. Right from handling diet plans, mess menus, individualized diet and certain athletes. Earlier a coach used to handle all these or a doctor who they consulted.
13 years ago when I was an athlete, my coach was everything and still coaches are one of the main contacts you see everyday. I was not aware of a nutritionist at that time and now most of the athletes know how nutritionists are an integral part of their success.
Q 3) Mental health is very important in sports, does nutrition play any part in the improvement of mental health?
The answer is yes. I myself was a rifle shooter. My mental health was always as important as my physical health. When it comes to any sport, mental health is very crucial. I would say mental health works hand in hand with an athlete's overall well-being. If they are upset because of things not going well during practice or in games and maybe they have performance anxiety and at the same time their nutrition isn't taken care of, it is further going to worsen their condition. Nutrition helps in managing it and at the same time enhancing mental health. For example, good fats like Omega 3 and Omega 6 are considered very important for mental health. These small things are considered very important and can impact mental health.
Q 4) Do athletes at grassroot levels know the importance of a nutritionist? What can be done to raise awareness and accessibility?
It is all about the coaches being aware about nutrition and nutritionists. I have seen at grassroot levels wherein the coach wants to take care of everything. They either tend to give athletes advice themselves or some who are aware make sure that their athletes are referring to a nutritionist. In India budget constraint is something that matters when it comes to sports so if the budget allows them then they would eventually have a nutritionist on board. Some academies and athletes are aware of nutritionists but to bring more awareness we have to go through coaches.
Q 5) How does sports nutrition vary depending on different sports?
Sports nutrition does vary, not only in different sports but also in the same sport as well. For example, a goalkeeper compared to a striker or a winger would have a different nutrition plan altogether. In endurance sports the intake of carbohydrate is a lot but if we talk about an event like weightlifting then the requirement of muscle is way too much as the protein in the take would be much higher than carbohydrate. In conclusion I would say it varies a lot.
Q 6) What is your opinion on nutrition supplements as compared to real foods for sports?
I would personally prefer food over any supplements. I would say that real food is the skeleton and adding anything to the base of the body is not going to work. Supplements are not going to work if your actual eating habits aren’t right because here in India nutrition supplements are considered like a magic wand, it does happen when sport personalities compare themselves or have added pressure on them to achieve a medal, these athletes need to understand that proper food should be their base. I have often seen youngsters also take the highest level of supplements which are not really advisable.
