Fitness is sacred to elite sportsmen, and Neeraj Chopra from India is no exception. Tokyo Olympics javelin throw champion Neeraj Chopra adheres to a stringent diet and discipline to be in shape. Chopra started playing the sport as a youngster to combat his weight. Here are all the specifics of Neeraj Chopra’s diet and exercise regimen. Scroll down to read details about Neeraj Chopra’s diet.
Neeraj Chopra’s Diet Decoded
Body fat percentage, which measures how much of a person’s body is made up of fat, is used in current sports science as a gauge of total fitness. The appropriate body fat percentage, however, may vary depending on the sport. Bodybuilders strive to keep their body fat level between 3 and 5% when competing to make their muscles and striations stand out, for instance. Anything less than that is seen as unhealthy and harmful.
A slightly greater body fat percentage is suggested for action sports since the excess fat, as long as it falls within a safe range, helps athletes have more energy and explosive strength. The optimal body fat percentage for men javelin throwers is 10.5%–11.5%.
Neeraj Chopra strives to keep his body fat under 10%. To acquire and maintain it, you need to follow a rigorous diet. Neeraj Chopra attempts to maintain an easy diet. He must have a healthy breakfast to power his workouts.
Breakfast
Neeraj drinks juice or coconut water to start his day. He eats three to four egg whites, two pieces of bread, a bowl of dalia, and fruits for breakfast. The javelin star earlier remarked that he could eat bread and omelets any day of the week because they are his favorites.
Lunch
Neeraj often has rice and curd for lunch along with pulses, grilled chicken, and salad. He munches on dry fruits, particularly nuts, and drinks fresh juice between workouts and gym sessions.
Dinner
Neeraj prefers soup, boiled vegetables, and fruits as the main components of dinner. He said, “I try to eat fruits and veggies as much as I can.”
Overall, Neeraj Chopra’s diet appears to be quite high in fruits and protein, the macronutrients that support muscle growth and maintain a healthy level of body fat. He also takes protein supplements to fulfill his daily requirements.
Neeraj Chopra just added salmon fish to his diet plan, and he is quickly making it his preferred source of protein. Speaking to ESPN, he said, “It’s meant to be beneficial for you. I recently began eating it. I’d rather have some grilled salmon if I have to eat non-vegetarian stuff.”
Neeraj Chopra’s Diet Decoded – Is Neeraj Chopra a vegetarian?
As evidenced by his eating plan, Neeraj Chopra is a non-vegetarian. Oddly enough, Neeraj Chopra adhered to a rigorous vegetarian diet up until 2016. During a training camp in Portland, Oregon, the situation shifted.
Neeraj Chopra opted to add non-vegetarian foods to his diet to stop losing weight because there weren’t many vegetarian choices available there. It fit him and persisted in his diet.
Neeraj Chopra’s Diet Decoded – Cheat Meal
The idea of cheat meals is rather popular in the field of nutrition. Strict diets can be hard to keep up with and get boring after a time. Cheat meals are intended to give the diet a break so that they may periodically eat anything they want, in moderation. It increases the long-term viability of a diet.
For Neeraj Chopra, who tries to follow his diet as strictly as possible, cheat meals are not very regular. However, Neeraj Chopra enjoys treating himself to sweets, particularly kheer (sweetened rice with milk), or churma, a Haryanvi delicacy comprised of mashed roti (Indian bread), sugar, and ghee.
The renowned Indian street dish known as golgappas, also known as pani puri or puchka, is one of Neeraj Chopra’s vices. It is a spicy mashed potato filling in a crispy fried thin wafer that is served with either sweet or tangy-flavored water.
Speaking about the golgappas, Neeraj said, “In my opinion, eating golgappas is harmless. It’s primarily water, and the majority of it fills your stomach. Although the papri is rather large, there is not much flour in it. The majority of what enters your body is water. There is a small bit of spice, but that is a different issue.”
Even though Neeraj Chopra spends a lot of time away from home owing to training and tournaments, he does admit to enjoying home cooking. Neeraj also thinks of himself as a competent cook, and his specialty is “namkeen chawal” (salty rice). It is also known as veg biryani.
Neeraj Chopra’s weight loss journey after Tokyo 2020
After earning his historic gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics in August, Neeraj Chopra went through what may have been one of the most difficult moments of his diet journey. Neeraj Chopra missed a solid few months of action after Tokyo 2020. It was a much-needed respite that also aided in his injury recovery.
Neeraj Chopra gained almost 12–14 kilograms and reached a weight of 97kg when he started exercising again in December. His body fat percentage is also above his desired range by approximately 60%, coming in at 16%. After his adventures in Tokyo had taken their toll, there were several lunches and dinners to celebrate.
Neeraj Chopra and his coaching crew flew to the USA to practice at the Chula Vista facility in California to get back in condition. Ishaan Marwaha, Neeraj Chopra’s longtime physio, told the New Indian Express, “It was almost like starting from zero because there was a four-month gap.”
Neeraj Chopra’s Weight Loss Journey
Neeraj Chopra eliminated all sugar from his diet as his first step towards accelerating weight loss. For five weeks, Neeraj Chopra’s dietician Mihira Khopkar also advised him to eat fewer carbohydrates while consuming more protein.
The Indian athlete’s primary sources of protein were chicken, salmon, eggs, and a lot of salad, with protein supplements serving just as a supplement. There were potatoes for carbs.
Neeraj Chopra’s weight reduction was accelerated with cardio, particularly jogging, although the process was difficult. He found it challenging as well because he had never run while carrying so much weight. He found it difficult at first to begin jogging vast distances. Then, up until a 5K run, we started lengthening his runs, Marwaha said.
After starting weight training again, Neeraj Chopra dropped roughly two kilograms in the first few weeks and began to grow leaner.
Neeraj Chopra is now stronger and a better thrower as a result of the routine. He made his competitive comeback in the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland in June, when he set a new national record with a throw of 89.30 meters.
Neeraj Chopra further improved his best to 89.94m in the Stockholm Diamond League just 16 days later. Additionally, in July in Oregon, he took home a historic silver medal in the World Athletics Championships 2022.
