Univ. of Tokyo Ballplayers Eating More Rice to Boost Results

May 12, 2018

Tokyo- At the University of Tokyo, a breeding ground for Japan's best and brightest, the baseball club is perennially the cellar dweller of the Tokyo Big6 Baseball League of college teams.

But last autumn, the club won a regular season series against a league competitor for the first time in 15 years.

The achievement can be attributed in no small part to the guidance of Manager Kazushi Hamada, who lays emphasis on diets centered on rice, the main staple in Japan, to build up players' physical strength.

"Eating enough and then exercising will improve basic physical fitness and also help studying," Hamada said.

According to Hamada, the hit distance of a baseball player is proportional to body weight. A difference of some 10 kilograms in weight translates to a gap of some 10 meters in hit distance.

In the dining hall of the baseball club's dormitory, a posting shows body weight goals for players and the daily rice intake needed for each target weight.

For instance, if a player aims for 70 kilograms, the daily amount of rice that needs to be eaten is set at 1,580 grams for exercise days and 1,100 grams for other days.

"Top priority is placed on eating. I don't allow players to practice unless they eat full meals," Hamada said.

His program has produced positive results, including improvements in his players' batting performances in league games.

"After my body weight increased, I think my hit distance grew," a third-year player said.

Rice contains carbohydrate, as well as vitamins and minerals.

"Concentrating on your study leaves you hungry. Rice is suitable for replenishing calories," Hamada said.

His coaching methods are supported by graduates of the University of Tokyo baseball club.

"The manager's focus on eating is very good not only for exercise but also for stimulating the brain," said Yutaka Kunimoto, adviser to seasoning producer Ajinomoto Co..

Takeshi Kawashima, adviser to Nissan Securities Co., said, "If players eat rice and improve their basic physical fitness, they won't get tired easily and can achieve a goal of being good at both academics and sports."

Kawashima is preparing tests to apply the Todai baseball training model on a wider basis. Its adoption for high school baseball and other sport activities may boost demand for rice. Jiji Press