Olympic Diets

The night before and the day of a road race or even before jumping in the pool to swim a mile, I usually stick to a known diet.  Maybe a turkey sandwich and a side salad for dinner and toast with nut butter and a piece of fruit for breakfast.  But if my diet varies a bit, not the end of the world.  For Olympians, their diet could mean the difference between gold, silver, bronze, or not stepping up on the podium.

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I have a hard time believing that Michael Phelps really eats a 12,000 calorie diet/day.  Wouldn’t he sink?  How long does he have to wait after eating to swim?  During the 2008 Beijing Olympics, it was widely reported that this was his typical training diet:

The 12,000 Calorie Diet

Can you imagine washing down all of that pasta and pizza with energy drinks?  Me, not so much.  He does swim about 50 miles a week and throws in resistance training so he does need to fuel his workouts.  I’d like to volunteer to send him a care package of homemade granola, muffins, and calzones.  Less processed, healthy food.  I’m not judging, though–clearly his methods work!

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Now how about Olympic diets that are healthy?

Swimmer Janet Evans (who didn’t make this year’s Olympics but did make a valiant effort at the trials) has a family history of heart disease and maintains a diet that fuels her swimming and protects her heart.  She includes a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables (apples are a favorite of hers!), healthy fats (avocado), and Greek yogurt.  (Source)

Did you know she’s 40 years old? (Source)

Meet Merve Aydin–she is a 22 year old Turkish middle-distance runner and will compete in the 800m race in London.  She maintains a 3,000 calorie a day diet.  Here’s what that looks like:

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Grains, protein, healthy fats, water, dairy

What do you eat to fuel your workouts?  

*Note:  This is not a post meant to critique athletes’ diets or even suggest calorie counting/restriction.  It’s just a day in the life of these amazing athletes!