What Do Asian Games Athletes Eat? 7 Gut Lessons to Borrow
From sushi before the Games to rajma chawal afterwards, the useful lessons are about preparation, meal timing and knowing what suits you.
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Asian Games athletes eat different meals according to their sport, schedule, preferences and dietary needs. At Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the announced dining programme included curries, naan, chicken dishes and Japanese noodles, with vegetarian and vegan options. Indian athletes also tried Japanese food before travelling. For everyday eaters, the useful lesson is how athletes prepare: practise food choices before important days, time heavier meals around hard exercise, stay hydrated and check food safety. You can borrow those habits without copying an elite athlete’s portions or supplements.
First things first: rajma chawal and aloo parathas
The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games closed on 4 October 2026, with India finishing fourth with 85 medals, including 21 golds.
After the men’s hockey gold, two players’ wish lists were wonderfully familiar. Hardik Singh was looking forward to naan and “home-cooked rajma chawal and kheer made by my mom”. Manpreet Singh wanted his mother’s aloo parathas or aloo sabzi, according to their post-match comments to ANI, carried by Asianet Newsable.
Even after a carefully planned sporting campaign, ghar ka khana has its pull. But getting through that campaign also means thinking about the stomach well before the celebration meal.
What do Asian Games athletes eat when they are in Japan?
Before the Games, a dining-hall preview reported by News On Japan outlined around 370 menu items across the programme. These included bread, naan, curries and chicken dishes, alongside Nagoya specialities such as tebasaki chicken wings and kishimen, the region’s flat noodles. Vegetarian and vegan meals were also planned.
The Olympic Council of Asia’s own preview highlighted local dishes, international food, and halal and vegan selections. This was a range of choices, rather than one prescribed meal plan for every competitor.
How Indian athletes prepared for Japanese food
Food preparation started before the flight. The Indian Express reported that the Sports Authority of India’s Bengaluru centre introduced Japanese food, including sushi, ahead of the Games. Athletes and the nutritionist were consulted before the menu changed.
That gave athletes a chance to get used to unfamiliar tastes and know what to expect. It is a useful travel habit, but it is different from the structured “gut training” studied in endurance sport. Trying a dish beforehand also cannot protect anyone from foodborne illness; safe preparation still matters.
Why hard exercise can upset the stomach
Gut trouble is one of sport’s quieter problems. A 2014 review in Sports Medicine reported that studies generally found digestive complaints in 30–50% of athletes, particularly in endurance sport. That is a range from earlier research, not a count of athletes at these Asian Games.
During intense exercise, blood flow to the digestive tract falls as the body supplies working muscles. Running can also jostle the gut. Food, fluid intake, heat and exercise intensity may contribute to symptoms such as nausea, cramps or an urgent need for the loo.
A hard run after a large lunch is a different demand on the body from a gentle walk after dinner. The practical advice needs to reflect that.
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7 gut lessons worth borrowing
1. Practise your food choices before you need them
In endurance sport, gut training means repeatedly practising the food and drink an athlete plans to take around exercise. It is about tolerating fuel under those conditions, rather than training yourself to eat any unfamiliar cuisine.
Jeukendrup’s 2017 review, Training the Gut for Athletes, described the gut’s capacity to adapt. A 2023 systematic review found that repeated feeding during exercise could reduce discomfort in some studies, although results varied. Faster stomach emptying was not consistently demonstrated.
For an ordinary weekend game, the useful habit is simpler: try your snack on a normal practice day and notice how it feels. When increasing fibre in everyday meals, build up gradually and drink enough water. There is no universal two-week timetable, and continuing discomfort is not something to push through.
2. Keep the big day familiar
An important match is a poor moment to discover that a new snack or drink disagrees with you. Practising food choices beforehand also helps you work out a comfortable portion and timing.
You can apply the same planning to an exam, a long journey or an interview: choose food you usually tolerate and allow time to eat. New cuisines can be part of the pleasure of travelling; give yourself a less pressured occasion to explore them.
3. Time your fibre around hard exercise
Fibre-rich foods belong in everyday meals. WHO’s healthy-diet guidance encourages whole grains, pulses, vegetables and fruit. A pre-exercise adjustment is about a particular meal, not removing these foods from your diet.
If a large bowl of rajma or a very fatty meal immediately before running makes you uncomfortable, try eating it further from the session. A smaller, familiar carbohydrate-based snack may suit you better closer to exercise.
Sports Dietitians Australia’s guidance commonly places a main meal 2–4 hours before an event, with a lighter snack 1–2 hours beforehand if needed. Treat those windows as starting points: the activity, portion and your own tolerance matter.
4. Hydrate for the session you are doing
Start exercise well hydrated and keep water available. For everyday activity, let thirst guide drinking while considering the heat, duration and how much you are sweating.
Long or very sweaty sessions may need an individual hydration plan, ideally worked out with a qualified sports dietitian. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association’s guidance stresses that both too little fluid and excessive drinking can create risks. Forcing down water is not a better version of staying hydrated.
5. Use supplements for a reason
Elite sport does not make every supplement worthwhile. The IOC’s 2018 consensus statement recommends a nutritional assessment before supplement decisions. Some products have useful roles, but evidence for many performance claims is limited, and contamination with prohibited substances is a recognised risk for competitors.
For everyday exercise, start by looking at your meals and what you actually need. A supplement recommended for an identified need is different from buying one because an athlete advertises it.
6. Make food safety part of the plan
When travelling, choose food that has been cooked thoroughly and is served hot, use safe drinking water and wash your hands before eating. Cold foods need suitable refrigeration too. These habits follow the WHO’s Five Keys to Safer Food.
It also helps to have a familiar backup snack for delays or limited menus. Fruit you can wash or peel, or a sealed packet of nuts you normally eat, may be practical. Carrying curd or a cooked meal requires more attention to temperature and storage.
7. Let comfort food have its place
Hardik’s rajma chawal and Manpreet’s aloo parathas are reminders that food can mean home, family and relief after a demanding stretch. You do not need a medal to enjoy that.
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Familiar food can be comforting and predictable, but it is not automatically easier to digest. Rajma may cause gas for some people; portion size and how a dish is prepared matter too. A favourite meal can fit into a varied diet without being turned into a gut-health prescription.
A quick guide to choosing food before exercise
These are examples to try on ordinary days, not a fixed menu or a guarantee against symptoms. Use your appetite, usual meals and the demands of the session to decide whether you need a snack at all.
| Your plan | What to consider | An Indian-kitchen example |
| A gentle walk | Keep your usual eating routine; a walk does not call for an athlete’s fuelling plan. | Your normal meal, in a portion comfortable for you. |
| Harder exercise 1–2 hours away | If you need food, try a modest, familiar snack with less added fat and bulky fibre. | A banana, a couple of plain idlis or a small bowl of lightly cooked poha, if you tolerate them. |
| Harder exercise 2–4 hours away | There is more room for a meal; adjust the size and richness to what sits comfortably. | A moderate serving of vegetable poha with a familiar accompaniment. |
If a particular food repeatedly bothers you, change one thing at a time—portion, timing or ingredients—and note what happens. That is more useful than deciding that every food in the meal must be avoided.
What sport tells us about gut bacteria
Researchers are also interested in athletes’ gut microbes. A 2014 study of professional rugby players found greater microbial diversity than in comparison groups. Their diets differed as well, so the study could not neatly separate exercise from food and other influences.
In a 2019 Nature Medicine study, Veillonella bacteria became more abundant in runners after the Boston Marathon. These microbes can use lactate, a substance produced during exercise. Giving a runner-derived strain to mice improved treadmill performance in that experiment.
The mouse finding was experimental, but it did not establish a performance benefit in humans. Neither study is a reason to buy a capsule promising an “athlete microbiome”.
Borrow the habits, then build your own plate
Athletes’ diets are shaped by their training, sport and individual needs. Copying the portions while spending most of the day at a desk is unlikely to be useful; it may simply give you an athlete’s grocery bill.
Start with one practical change: test a snack before your usual game, leave more time after a substantial meal, or plan safe food for a journey. If you want some kitchen ideas, ask Happy Tummy GPT: “Suggest familiar Indian snacks for before an evening badminton session, with options that are lighter on fat and fibre.”
And when there is something to celebrate, the rajma chawal can still be on the menu.
Disclaimer: This article provides general information for healthy adults, based on published research and news reports; it is not personalised medical or sports-nutrition advice. Children, pregnant people, older adults and anyone with medical dietary or fluid restrictions should follow individual professional guidance. Seek medical advice for symptoms that persist, recur or are severe. Blood in the stool, severe or persistent pain, unexplained weight loss or difficulty swallowing need prompt medical attention. Games reporting was checked on 5 October 2026.
FAQs
What did athletes eat at the 2026 Asian Games?
The announced Aichi-Nagoya dining programme included curries, naan, chicken dishes and Japanese specialities such as kishimen noodles, with vegetarian, vegan and halal choices. The menu offered options; each athlete’s meals depended on their needs and preferences.
What do Hardik Singh and Manpreet Singh like to eat?
After the 2026 Asian Games hockey gold, Hardik Singh said he was looking forward to naan and his mother’s rajma chawal and kheer. Manpreet Singh mentioned his mother’s aloo parathas or aloo sabzi. These were celebration plans, not their full training diets.
How did Indian athletes prepare for food in Japan?
SAI’s Bengaluru centre introduced Japanese dishes, including sushi, before the Games. The aim was to make unfamiliar food less surprising. This was food familiarisation, rather than evidence that Japanese dishes had trained athletes’ digestion or prevented illness.
Can you train your gut?
Endurance athletes can practise taking food and fluid during training. Studies suggest this may improve tolerance and reduce discomfort in some settings, but results vary. It is not a promise that everyone will adapt to a new diet within two weeks.
What should I eat before exercise?
Choose a familiar food and a portion that fits the session. Before harder exercise, a small carbohydrate-based snack such as a banana, plain idlis or lightly cooked poha may suit you. Allow more time for a main meal and adjust according to your tolerance.
Do athletes have healthier gut bacteria?
Some studies find different or more diverse gut microbes in athletes, but diet, training and other factors overlap. Those findings do not establish that every athlete has a healthier gut, or that copying an athlete’s diet will reproduce their microbiome.
