Eating For Success: What An Olympian Eats In A Day

The athletes competing in the Rio Olympic games have been blowing our minds for over a week now! It is incredible to watch people perform at the apex of their physical ability. Obviously, to reach those heights you have to put in a serious amount of training. Last week we talked to you about ways in which you could elevate your training and work more like an Olympian, but what about their diet? To train at such high levels, just think about the amount of calories you'd have to consume? https://www.instagram.com/p/BIvCGTrBDaQ/?taken-by=bodyrockofficial Some athletes are eating anywhere from 8,000-12,000 calories a day! That's a lot but when you consider that a 4-5 hour training period can burn 4,000-5,000 calories, it provides a little perspective. While calorie consumption is dependent on the sport and the type of training required, and some athletes fall below the recommended daily calories totals we are used to hearing, they carefully balance their macronutrients. That is, they ensure they eat the right amounts of fats, proteins and carbohydrates to suit their needs! Obviously, if you aren't training at an elite level, we don't advocate eating like you are (in fact, check out what we do recommend in the BodyRock Meal Plan) but we thought it would be interesting to take a closer look at what a handful of top-level competitors eat in an average day.

Michael Phelps

This seemingly superhuman swimmer consumes 3529 calories a day (although it has been reported he was consuming 12,000/day leading up to the 2008 Olympics!). His daily totals are comprised of 27% protein, 34% fats, 37% carbs and 2% "other." Here's what a day looks like:

• one large bowl of oatmeal
• one large ham and cheese omelet
• fresh fruit
• coffee
• foot long meatball sub from Subway
• two plates filled with whole grains
• lean meats

 Lauren Crandall

This field hockey star eats around 1877 calories a day with a break down that looks like this: 29% protein, 21% fat and 50% carbs. While those are not a lot of calories in total, the way she breaks them down is significant. When it comes to food, here's what that looks like:

• one egg
• one cup egg whites
• two turkey sausages
• black coffee
• grilled chicken
• 1 piece of white bread
• salad
• fruit
• grilled chicken or steak
• broccoli
• salad
• brown rice
• protein shake

Ashton Eaton

This decathlete keeps his calorie totals pretty level eating about 2680 calories a day. He gets his calories from 28% protein, 28% fat, 43% carbs and 1% "other." Eaton's food consumption looks like this:

• eggs
• turkey bacon
• toast
• Greek yogurt
• whole wheat sandwich
• bowl of chicken soup
• salmon
• rice
• corn
• green beans
• granola bar
• banana
• protein shake

Amir Khan

Boxing is a tough sport and requires intense training! For Khan, this means eating about 3331 calories a day. These calories are 36% protein, 23% fat and 41% carbs. He eats:

• vegetable juice (celery, kale, spinach, garlic, pepper)
• oatmeal with mixed berries
• eggs
• pasta
• chicken
• rice
• fish
• rice
• steak
• protein shake

https://www.instagram.com/p/BIke3ctB7Sn/?taken-by=bodyrockofficial

Paul Ruggeri

To keep himself lean and fit, this gymnast consumes 2106 calories a day. This total comes from 28% protein, 34% fat, 38% carbs. The foods he eats break down like this:

• egg whites
• steel cut oatmeal
• apple slices
• 2 slices of bread
• chicken
• banana
• nuts or almond butter
• chicken soup
• salmon
• grilled asparagus
• baked sweet potatoes
• beet and broccoli salad

There you have it! So while they may be consuming more calories than you'd like to, the foods they eat to meet those totals are incredibly nutritious, lean and healthy. Remember, the quality of the calories you eat is just as important as the quantity you eat. Do you eat foods similar to these athletes? Share your thoughts with us! Source: Huffington Post