Novak Djokovic’s obsession with healthy diet could cause long-term consequences, claims nutritionist Jurg Hosli

Djokovic hasn’t had the best of comebacks on the international tennis circuit after he decided to take a break from the sport during the second half of last season, following his persistent elbow problem. He has lost five of his last 10 games since his return and although the World No. 12 has claimed to be ‘pain-free’ after months, Hosli has claimed that the Serb has been facing an “eating disorder” that might be keeping him from reaching full potential.

“I always admired Djokovic for his game, attitude, his way to move on the court. But when I recently listened that he had made drastic changes in his diet, I asked myself when the crisis would come. What we are seeing are the results of anorexia that can be defined as the obsession for a diet based only on apparent healthy food,” said, Hosli, an admirer of the 12-time Grand Slam winner, wrote on his Facebook post.

“Djokovic looked for a radical solution in his diet without considering the long-term consequences. And reducing carbohydrates and totally avoiding the sugar is a big error. At the beginning, you feel stronger because cells start to store more oxygen but muscles produce less and less lactic acid. The moment when he starts losing the possibility to produce and burn lactic, results are dramatic," he further added.

The 30-year-old has never hidden his diet from public view. In 2010, he had revealed he had given up gluten, experiencing a spike in form, which made him one of the most flexible and sturdy candidates in the sport. He eventually gave up on meat too and has been relying on plant-based diet to remain fit. However, Hosli has suggested the pain-free situation might be hiding something far more dangerous that is yet to surface.

“He will feel even worse when he reaches the limit of his strength, he will suffer stress issues as the quality of sleep decreases and a social isolation of the person gets produced. What happens to Djokovic is that he has a total anaerobic metabolism caused by his diet that can only conduct physical and psychological fatigue.

“What would help him? Slow start-up of carbohydrates. If you eat more carbohydrates, it also produces more lactate, but the body needs to learn about it first. Training needs to be adjusted, he should increase the sugar for training,” advised Hosli.