Darts nutritionist serving to stars keep away from fags, booze and fry-ups – ‘they’re athletes now’

Darts and nutrition haven’t always been natural bedfellows.

In the dim and distant past, a player’s staple diet used to constitute a pint or three at the oche and regular fry-ups off it. While a dartist will never require the physique of an Olympic athlete, it’s now widely accepted that a healthy diet equals a healthy mind, essential in this cerebral sport.

More and more players are taking their health seriously and reaping the benefits, Luke Humphries being a prime example. They now have specialist help available after the Professional Darts Players Association (PDPA) teamed up with respected nutritional therapist Kelly Hopley.

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As a darts fan, she is knowledgeable and respectful of the sport’s past but knows what was considered the norm 40 years ago doesn’t align with the sport’s more modern, professional image and hectic schedule.

“The old stereotype of what a darts player was couldn’t be further from the truth now,” says Hopley, who linked up with the PDPA two years ago and often attends tournaments to offer advice.

“If you think about players like Jocky Wilson, they’d be in smoky pubs with a pint or two on the go, and they performed in the environment they were expected to perform in.

“But it’s not the same now. The schedules are very busy. Also, if you think about the standard today, there’s almost no room for an off-day.”

There are 128 players on the PDC tour, all with different relationships with food, meaning there can’t be a one-size-fits-all approach to Hopley’s work. She says: “I didn’t go in there and get everyone to follow a certain plan. That’s not what it’s about.

“It’s about understanding the individual, their lifestyle, their work-life balance, their preferences with food, their relationship with food, their mental wellbeing – there are so many things to consider.”

Eating healthily for darts players is easier said than done when, after a late-night finish away from home, the only food available is fast and not especially nutritious.

“You can write the best nutrition plan in the world but if it’s not accessible, it won’t work, it has to be something that people can follow,” explains Hopley. “In the past, if you said modern darts players were athletes, people would go, ‘Yeah right, whatever.’ But it’s true now.

“Good nutrition isn’t going to guarantee success but poor nutrition is going to make it much harder. Good nutrition is going to help performance. Optimise is the best word for it.

“We talk about energy management, when they should refuel, what they should eat during a long day, how they recover from travel, how they sleep well.

“Most importantly, how can they have that consistency of performance and be able to replicate what they did the day before Nutrition alone is not going to do that but neither is practice alone. It’s about having all these things together.

“There isn’t a blanket approach but you give them options. If they’re playing a late-night match, it is difficult to fuel effectively, but it’s not impossible.

“The PDPA are mindful of all aspects of the players’ well-being. I don’t work for the PDC but I know they are mindful about making sure the right food is available in the venues.”

So, how can good dietary choices help with performance on the oche? Hopley asserts: “Concentration and decision-making, definitely. They’re having to perform maths very quickly, under pressure and often late at night.

“I know some people will say it’s not maths, it’s patterns, but actually it’s both. There are very few people who could do it as well as they do.

“We talk about hydration and the advice is to drink two to three litres a day. There’s also electrolytes, which are powders you can buy that help with hydration and, in turn, concentration.”

Hopley also dispels myths about the types of fluids players take on. She says: “There are a lot of myths around nutrition generally. If someone was choosing Pepsi Max or Diet Coke, the intention when choosing those is, ‘It’s got to be better than having a full fat Coke.’

“But sweeteners in those drinks can be as disruptive to the metabolism as sugar itself. If someone gets a sugar spike – and it can happen with sweeteners as well – how is that going to affect concentration and performance?

“Even something like drinking coffee… If you have one coffee, it’s quite good for focusing. But if you have two, three, four coffees, it’s more likely to create anxiety and jitters.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a player do it but if they were drinking energy drinks, I’d say that would only be negative on performance long-term. Whenever you’re getting that sudden boost of caffeine, there’s then going to be a drop-off at the wrong time.”

When it comes to food, Hopley says: “I try to get them to think about slow-burning carbohydrates. Rather than having a sandwich or chips, where could they get brown rice, whole wheat pasta, or cous cous? Just something that gives a more balanced energy burn than a processed carb.

“Again, I don’t give any specifics because it depends on the individuals. With some individuals, the foods they eat are very wide-ranging. With some, it isn’t and they’re restrictive in what they like to have.

“We talk about the importance of omega-3s. They are really important for concentration. Oily fish is a great source of omega-3. They could have a tin of mackerel or some salmon, which is transportable. But again, that won’t suit other players.

“Some people might work better when eating regularly, others might work better when fasting intermittently or with a keto diet [vegetable and protein rich]. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all.”

Hopley’s advice has been well received by players and she hopes she has allayed any concerns players may have had. She adds: “Any initial concern, I’d like to think I’ve shifted that. No one ever said to me, ‘Are you going to make us drink green smoothies?’ Two years ago, when I first turned up, that might have been the concern. But I’ve had a very good response overall.”

As for darts’ old friend alcohol, Hopley believes the sport’s relationship with it has changed and will continue to evolve. She says: “Think where darts has come from. Where did they learn to play darts years ago? They learnt to play in the pub or social club.

“The darts players coming through now do not learn to play darts in the pub, they learn to play in an academy. That association hardly exists now.”