Suryakumar Yadav's diet secrets revealed; here's what World No.1 T20I batter eats to maintain fitness levels

Suryakumar Yadav took the unconventional route to the top: no cheat meals, no carbohydrates, and more coffee. Systemic preparation made the Indian batting sensation's 360-degree game possible, and one of his most notable off-field accomplishments was altering his eating habits.

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Shweta Bhatia, a renowned dietician and sports nutritionist, has been working on the world's number one T20I batter's diet and has shared details on how precisely Suryakumar Yadav planned to work on his fitness levels through proper nutrition. "We have been working with him since the past one year. He was looking at improving his overall fitness. I have helped him realign his understanding of sports nutrition," Bhatia told PTI in an interview.

According to Bhatia, Surya's diet was developed on a five-point plan. First, improve performance in both practise and competition. Second, assist him in keeping his body fat within the 12 to 15% athletic range. Thirdly, his diet ought to keep him mentally active and awake. The fourth objective dealt with decreasing the need to continually refuel by having fewer cravings. Last but not least, an athlete must encourage recovery. To increase his agility levels, Bhatia reduced his carbohydrate intake to a minimum for optimum results.

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"The latest research shows how performance can not only be maintained but improved with a structured low carb plan," she said. "We eliminated excess carbohydrates from Surya's diet. His diet consists of healthy fats like nuts and Omega 3s. He consumes a lot of first-class proteins from non-vegetarian sources (eggs, meats, fishes), dairy and fibrous carbohydrates from vegetables."

An athlete must be well hydrated, including fluids and electrolytes. "Hydration guidelines that is fluid and electrolytes are provided for the intra-match/intra-training period. Activity-specific, sports performance-boosting supplements are added pre, during and post-training. "These include whey protein, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, joint health supplements to name a few. The basic plan is modified from time to time as per the match, training and travel schedules. I plan the menu, suggest healthy alternatives and cuisines to avoid monotony," Bhatia added.

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Surya's amazing batting abilities have astounded the entire cricket world. This is his reward for his extraordinary effort to reach peak fitness in the previous year, which led to superior execution. If Suryakumar Yadav's swept six off a 135kmph 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 "power supplements" that Surya drinks, which helps in generating explosive power. "I work with his strength and conditioning coach. I am briefed about the training protocols and the diet is adjusted accordingly. Supplements that enhance power output have been included. Overall, the diet must match the training intensity for best results." 

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Extreme sacrifices must be made to acquire the drive for success. The hardest thing is letting up on the simple pleasures in life, like eating ice cream after dinner or relishing a pizza or mutton biryani. Bhatia is quite pleased with the batting sensation. "Surya has the mindset of an elite athlete and prioritises his performance over everything else. So cheat meals are a rarity. He does not crave for junk or comfort foods since the time he has started following the diet. When it gets monotonous, allowance is made for healthier options. If he does feel like having one, cheat meals are planned strategically. I guide him with the amount and time of consumption so that it does not hamper his performance," Bhatia said. 

After the Mumbaikar extended his dream run in the T20 world Cup with a blistering half-century against Zimbabwe on Sunday, head coach Rahul Dravid also spoke about how Surya has taken care of his body. "If I look at Surya from a couple of years ago, just to see how he takes care of his body and the amount of time he spends on his fitness, I think he's just really earning the reward for a lot of the hard work that he's put in on and off the field, and long may it continue," Dravid said.

(With inputs from PTI)