Novak Djokovic: The Diet That Conquered Tennis
by Barbara Berkeley, MD
For those of you who don't spend your days watching Tennis Channel, let me bring you up to date.
Since the current professional men's season began last year, Serbian tennis phenom Novak Djokovic has dominated his sport in a way that is nothing short of astounding. He has won 64 matches (including last week's U.S. Open) and lost only 2 and has ascended to the number one spot in the world (view Djokovic's website here) What makes this so incredible? He's done it in the very midst of the dominant era of unbeatable superstars Rafa Nadal and Roger Federer. Federer and Nadal have controlled the two top rankings in tennis since 2005 and, until recently, Rafa appeared poised to claim his spot as one of the greatest ever as he took over from a slightly slower 30 year old Federer.
Before this season began, Djokovic sat in the number three spot. His tennis was strong and sharp, but he often struggled with breathing problems, what seemed to be an episodic de-conditioning, and a mental attitude that made him prone to frustration and breaking things.
That Djokovic could so completely turn things around in one short season is mind-blowing. Sports writers chalk this up to a new confidence, a stronger serve, and a better mental game. Less frequently discussed is another intriguing factor: before this season began, Novak Djokovic gave up carbohydrates.
A piece written in May for the Wall Street Journal (see previous link) mentioned the diet change in its title, but gave it short shrift when discussing possible reasons for Djokovic’s near-miraculous improvement. Surely the change must have occurred because he gained confidence. Surely the dietary contribution is nothing more than a placebo.
The article quotes David Levinksy, a nutrition professor from Cornell:
Levitsky said a gluten-free diet might have benefits for those with mild allergies, or even no allergy at all. "The other part of the story is, if you believe in a cause of your disorder, it becomes the cause," he said. "We see this in many different studies. If you believe it, you change your behavior in the direction of being cured."
This explanation seems odd, considering that it appears in an article entitled, “Starch Madness: Novak Djokovic’s Domination of the Sport Has Coincided with His Gluten-Free Turn”. It’s as if the writer posed the question, but didn’t dare go after the answer. Is it possible that, in fact, cutting out carbohydrates made Djokovic into a better athlete? Is it possible that everything we've believed about the importance of loading our muscles with tons of starches is untrue? Is it possible that we can play endlessly taxing endurance sports without jamming ourselves full of pasta and potatoes? And is it possible that we might be better off for it?
It seems that world number 4 Andy Murray thought so. He has adopted the Djokovic diet. How much do you want to bet that others follow. By the way, Murray just became the second person to beat Djokovic this year (although Djokovic did have a shoulder injury and was forced to withdraw after a set). Commentators for the match remarked repeatedly about Murray’s fitness and ability to move around the court. Coincidence?
I have held a consistent view on diet and it is a view that I believe holds up when one examines Djokovic’s transformation. Rather than worry about individual dietary elements, we should attempt to eat foods that are most like the ones are bodies understand genetically. Since our genes are thousands of generations old, we need to look at the foods that were prevalent in those times: lean proteins, fats that come from natural sources (and thus have higher omega 3-6 ratios), vegetable and fruit matter, seafood, nuts and other naturally occurring plant foods. Sugars and starches (including grain) were not a part of that original diet and are processed poorly or even cause overt harm in those of us who are more “original” genetically. In addition, our body has certain fuel expectations. Large amounts of carbohydrates as fuel seem to me to be inconsistent with what our body was fine-tuned to expect.
In my own practice I treat many tennis players and runners who are significantly overweight despite many hours of intense exercise. When they change their diet to one that is primarily Primarian, they not only lose weight but they become more efficient at their sports. For those who are interested in pursuing very taxing endurance exercise like triathalons or marathons, I suggest reading the book Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Friel. This addresses the particular needs of those who require some additional carbohydrate when training for specific endurance events.
In my own life, I attribute the ability of my 63 year old body to run a 5K, play hours of tennis, and do aerobic exercise at high capacity to the right mix of fuels. I have no doubt in my mind that it is Primarian eating, and not placebo, that has kept me lean and strong.
Dietary beliefs die hard and unfortunately, our unwillingness to give up the conventional wisdom leads to real death, the death of those who develop diabetes, heart disease and cancer as a result of the profligate consumption of insulin stimulating carbohydrates.
Is the Djokovic diet phenomenon real? You bet it is.
