Balance between brains and brawn key to success of athlete, says John Gloster

Dr. Amit Bhattacharjee, Scientist at PGIMER, Chandigarh, National Weightlifting Coach Vijay Sharma, John Gloster, Head Physio at Rajasthan Royals, and Dr. Tvisha Parikh, Sports Physician at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, collectively delved into diverse aspects of mental and physical training for athletes.

(L-R) Vijay Sharma (National weightlifting coach), Dr. Amit Bhattacharjee (Scientist, PGIMER, Chandigarh)t, Dr. Tvisha Parikh (Sports physician, Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital) and John Gloster (Head physio, Rajasthan Royals) during the Sportstar Sports Conclave - Focus Punjab in Chandigarh. | Photo Credit: R V Moorthy / The Hindu

John Gloster’s four years with the Indian cricket team — from 2005 to 2008—as a full-time physiotherapist were busy, eventful, and fulfilling. Gloster, who now works with the IPL franchise Rajasthan Royals, spoke about his time with the Indian team and how an increased focus on physical fitness set the side on course for consistent success.

“Regarding the future of Indian sports, especially in the wake of Indian cricket’s success, one key aspect is combining technical talent with physical capability,” Gloster said during a panel discussion titled: The Athlete Support System, at Sportstar’s Sports Conclave - Focus Punjab in Chandigarh on Wednesday. “In my role, I’ve observed that possessing technical skills in any sport is crucial, but without matching physical capability, there can be inconsistency in performance. The story of the Indian hockey team exemplifies this. Despite being technically gifted over multiple generations and exceptionally skilled in one-on-one situations, when the aspect of fitness was introduced, Indian hockey faced challenges. This was due to the transition from grass to astro turf, impacting the speed of the game.

“Drawing lessons from this experience, we applied the importance of fitness to cricket. In the early 2000s, Indian cricket experienced inconsistency – winning one series and losing another. However, as we introduced a robust support system into cricket, making fitness non-negotiable, consistency became a defining factor in our performance.

“Virat Kohli has demonstrated that to achieve consistency in performance, prioritizing fitness is essential. Cricket has now become a platform for spreading the message of overall fitness among all athletes, emphasizing injury prevention and ensuring longevity in sports. Fitness, in this context, extends beyond physical strength and encompasses aspects such as nutrition, mental well-being, high-performance support, internal medicine, and strength and conditioning.”

Meanwhile, Vijay Sharma, National weightlifting coach, highlighted the significance of mental training. “Working with an elite player is a significant pressure, both for the player and the coach. In 2016, Mirabai Chanu and I participated in the Rio Olympics (2016) after achieving a commendable score three months earlier in the Asian Championships, which was promising enough to secure a silver at the Olympics. 

“However, we faced a setback during the Olympics, unable to clear a single clean and jerk attempt. This experience made me realize the importance of mental training, psychologists, and physical trainers. You need a whole system to do well at the Olympics. We addressed that issue, and subsequently, we won the world championships in 2017 and the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Nevertheless, mental training is not exclusive to athletes; coaches also face pressure and must discover effective ways to cope with it.”

Brain and brawn

Gloster echoed similar sentiments. “In discussions about sports, the mental aspect, often referred to as the intangibles, tends to be overlooked. An illustrative example is Tom Brady, who was the 199th pick in the NFL Draft and almost missed the cut due to an exclusive focus on physical data, neglecting what is commonly termed the ‘shoulders-up’ aspect. This oversight nearly cost us one of the greatest athletes in sports history! So, as important as physical prowess is , it is not going anywhere if the brain isn’t talking to the body and vice versa.” 

Dr. Tvisha Parikh, sports physician at Sir H. N. Reliance Foundation Hospital, weighed in on the other crucial aspect of athlete management: sports medicine. “The immediate association with sports medicine often involves an injured player on the field receiving attention. While sports medicine certainly addresses injuries and their treatment, it extends beyond that narrow scope,” Parikh said.  

“It encompasses a comprehensive approach to an athlete’s well-being, including mental health, nutrition, and overall general health. Sports medicine not only focuses on treating sports injuries but also emphasizes prevention, ensuring athletes stay healthy and avoid injuries. The gamut of sports medicine covers everything from preventive measures to treatment, incorporating aspects like preventive nutrition, preventive psychology, and preventive medicine. 

“Upon entering our athlete development system, individuals undergo a thorough health examination, including blood tests, heart scans, nutritional assessments, analysis of body fat and muscle composition, and evaluation of coping strategies. Any complaints are duly attended to in order to establish a comprehensive baseline. This baseline enables us to anticipate and address potential future complications.”

Understanding the mind

One of Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra’s closest confidants, Dr. Amit Bhattacharjee, scientist, PGIMER, Chandigarh, was Bindra’s personal mental trainer for over a decade. Having travelled with him to three Olympics, beginning in Sydney 2000, Bhattacharjee has learned the nuances of the mental side of the sport on the job. For sportspersons competing at the highest level, a good mental framework is very essential, he says, as they face extreme stress during competition. And under such pressure, only a mental trainer is able to get the best out of them. “There should be an emergency mental training setup in place, particularly considering the harsh realities of sports like shooting. Imagine an athlete who has dedicated a decade of hard work, only for something to go wrong in the final moments, abruptly ending their four-year journey to the podium,” Bhattacharjee said. “In such situations, the impact on the sportsman can be profound. It raises questions about the kind of training provided to athletes and the potential challenges they face, such as anxiety and depression. Understanding and addressing these mental aspects are crucial to the overall well-being of athletes.”

The conclave was held in association with Hero Motocorp, Indian Oil, Punjab Government, Great Sports Tech, KPMG, and NewsX.