GW Champion Swimmer Develops Nutrition Platform

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Even if heads of lettuce, bags of spinach or packs of strawberries could talk from their perches in the bottom drawers of a refrigerator, UberEATS or DoorDash bags in more prominent spots would mute their pleas for attention.

We've all been there-returning home from a long day and talking ourselves into having the nourishment we desperately seek delivered at the click of a button. But there's a consequence. Accordingto the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans throw away up to 40% of their food supply each year. And those fruits and vegetables, bought with the right intentions, of course, are often the first victims in a clean sweep of the fridge-which is harmful from environmental, economic and health standpoints.

George Washington University senior swimmer Ganesh Sivaramakrishnan's rigorous schedule as a student-athlete is ripe for last-minute deliveries and subsequent food waste. But the physiological and brain sciences major who has racked up 12 Atlantic-10 conference championships during his illustrious career in the Buff and Blue has instead found a way to answer the beckoning call of perishable food items in his fridge and pantry.

While simultaneously being a ruler of the pool, Sivaramakrishnan has spent a year developing a nutrition and meal planning platform to eat smarter and save time. PowerPlatez, which launched last weekend, allows users to scan or upload pantry items, generate tailored recipes based on the ingredients, access nutritional information for each recipe, support performance wellness goals and, to save and track those meals over time, build personalized meal plans.

"It's like Tinder for recipes," Sivaramakrishnan said. "It'll give you nutritious, healthy meals based on the ingredients you have."

Which, for people in general but especially for student-athletes with an exhausting lifestyle on and off the field of competition, can be a godsend.

Sivaramakrishnan never knew he had an entrepreneurial mindset, but it was hard not to acquire one being on a men's swimming and diving team filled with innovative teammates. He saw some of his fellow conference champions-the Revolutionaries have won five A-10 team titles in a row-work on and follow through with their ventures that he wondered if getting in the startup game could be a way to stand out on medical school applications, the way he often does in a pool.

As he sought out an idea for his own venture, he remembered a nutrition class he took as a general elective that he really enjoyed. And then, of course, he was living the student-athlete lifestyle, where cooking healthily at home can feel like a herculean task. Diet can make all the difference in the world for a student-athlete in a sport where milliseconds can determine first or second place, and Sivaramakrishnan is determined to find a solution for tired peers to eat right.

"I know a lot of people in this world feel the same way," Sivaramakrishnan said. "So that played a huge factor in my decision to try to create an app like this-to create authentic dishes based on what you have and substitute things as well."

Sivaramakrishnan has even created a database for PowerPlatez to come up with a person's daily readiness score so that they can gauge how much they need to hydrate, how they should plan their meals and what their protein and caloric levels are reading.

While the app is intended for all users, it is especially useful to student-athletes who have big ambitions. Sports science has taken on a life of its own, and elite athletes are often asked to be "on" at all times. If they want to win conference championships at the Division I level and even compete for spots in the NCAAs, developing habits such as swapping out a bag of chips for a few carrots in the fridge can make a huge difference in the long run.

"There are definitely a lot of sacrifices," Sivaramakrishnan said. "But honestly, it's been very rewarding." PowerPlatez is designed to help student-athletes reap those rewards by allowing them to make healthier choices when fueling their bodies.

Sivaramakrishnan is grateful to a supportive GW community helping him in his endeavor, including President Ellen M. Granberg, Athletic Director Michael Lipitz and Head Men's Swimming and Diving Coach Francisco 'Chico' Rego.

He is excited for what is to come with PowerPlatez as he will continue focusing on the app while pursuing the next chapter of his life-medical school. But first, he has big goals in the water for his last hurrah as a competitive swimmer at GW, where his legacy will long be remembered as his name is already etched multiple times on the school records board in the Charles E. Smith Center for both the 200 and 400 free relays.

"I'm not putting pressure on myself. It's my senior year, so whatever happens, happens. But working as a team to send a relay to NCAAs-that's the primary goal," he said.

Sivaramakrishnan knows the behavior and habits in and out of the water will dictate that. With the meal prep platform he developed now at his fingertips, he'll ensure the nutrition part of that equation is under control.