You’ve seen PV Sindhu lay into the opposition on the badminton court, you’ve seen her cut a dignified pose on the cover of our 20th anniversary special. (Check it out here.) But what the countless interviews don’t tell you is that Sindhu is the textbook good child. She eats her vegetables, she drinks her milk and she can make you look really bad in front of your parents. At the launch of Gatorade’s Sweat More campaign, Sindhu offered us a peek inside her daily diet regimen.
Work hard, eat harder
“My day starts out with a hearty protein-rich breakfast of eggs and milk. Lunch is usually green leafy vegetables and chicken that helps pack in the carbs. I keep my energy up between sessions with Gatorade that helps build endurance.”
Yes, she skips dessert
“Ice cream and chocolates are kryptonite for an athlete. Ditto for anything with too much oil in it. Swearing off junk food altogether is scary though; indulge yourself once in a while to avoid an ungodly binge later.”
The real speedbreaker for any athlete is…
“Stress. It is easy to carry the performance pressure around with you as a burden. Cut yourself some slack and take it easy.”
Her definition of rest isn’t the same as yours
“Practice really doesn’t seem like a burden when you love every minute of it. I just give my body one day to detox after returning from a tournament, and then take to the court again the very next day.”
Her parents would do Aamir Khan from Dangal proud
“With two national champions for parents, my journey in sports has been complemented by their phenomenal support. They do say that women face a tough time in Indian sports, but for me fortunately, there has been nothing but support.”
Photograph: Bikramjit Bose
