Food & fluids for cricketers
How does a cricketer achieve an optimal level of
performance?
It is certain that he will come close to achieving
this objective if he 'fuels' his body with the
right kind of food and fluids. In other words,
players will require a little more than just
balance food. This is where the player has to
choose between just balance food, supplements or
just vitamins and minerals.
Budding cricketers are impressionable people. They
consume whatever their teammates or having or
whatever their idol might be having. It is also
possible that a good salesperson might entice them
to purchase a particular body-supplement, and the
players may agree without looking into the finer
details.
However, it is very important that a cricketer in
his formative 'make-or-break' years knows what his
diet should be. He should be well aware of the
number of calories he should ideally consume, what
type of supplements or vitamins he should be taking
and what he should consume when. All this is
decided on the basis of factors like the
cricketer's age, weight, height, body fat, body
mass index and the environment he will be playing
in. A proper diet can be prescribed after taking
into account the cricketer's medical and hereditary
history.
Professional advice from a nutrition specialist or
a qualified sports personal fitness trainer always
helps.
For instance, a cricketer whose family has a
history of cardiac problems and high cholesterol
should not be put on a fatty carbohydrate-based
diet. Players who have an acidity affliction need
to keep tabs on what they eat for breakfast prior
to the game and between the game. I remember
treating a cricketer who had a problem with a
supplement. He had procured this 'carbo' drink from
overseas and had been taking it for quite a while
to improve his endurance on match-days. The results
seemed to be good.
It so happened that during a match played in
extreme heat, he was stricken by diarrhea and
vomited profusely. He also caught a cold. He kept
taking this 'carbo' drink during the game, hoping
to strengthen himself. Out of the blue, he had
severe spasms and his abdomen cramped badly. The
cause - an overdose of carbs on a dehydrated
stomach. Dr. Aijaz and I, who were the officials at
the game, suggested 'hydrating' him first with an
electrolyte drink or Gatorade to energise him.
Benefits of a healthy diet:
1. A healthy diet enhances the overall performance
of an athlete.
2. Cricket being a low impact, stop-and-go kind of
endurance sport, balanced nutrition will sustain
the energy levels of each player in team
3. An intake of proper fluids and carbs the night
before the match will keep the player 'fuelled'. A
protein diet after the game will help in the
healing of muscles, cells and tissues.
Proper nutrition will keep a player physically and
mentally fit. It will improve his focus, attention
span, and reflexes. He will be able to avoid
injury, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, coronary
heart diseases, obesity, side-effects of
supplements on the kidneys, liver etc., and certain
types of cancers; e.g. skin cancer caused by
extreme heat and direct exposure to sun-rays,
testosterone cancer in cyclists, etc.