5 Keys to Fueling Like an Olympian

When it comes to the eating habits of Olympians, Daily consumption of 12,000 calories by Michael Phelpsinevitably comes into the discussion.Do athletes really train that hard? Can anyone really eat that much?Phelps certainly trained hard (like all Olympians) and probably burned and consumed more than 10,000 calories during certain training periods, but fueling like an Olympian doesn't require a 12,000-calorie meal plan. Rather, it requires adequate energy, consistency, periodization, safe supplementation, and following USA High Performance Team instructions.

With these factors in mind, here are five keys to fueling like an Olympian:

1. Consume sufficient energy (food is fuel)

Daily energy expenditure varies depending on sport, training phase, gender, body weight and body composition goals, but is typically in the range of 4,000 to 6,000 calories. Olympic athletes require consistently high intakes of macro and micronutrients, so diets are not part of the equation. Any athlete who touts the benefits of keto, intermittent fasting, or Paleo is unlikely to compete in the Olympics. These diet plans are used by the general public, but any strict diet will provide an elite athlete with inadequate energy and nutrients.

An athlete's nutritional preferences and intake vary depending on training schedule and training intensity, but almost every Olympic athlete follows a relatively high-carbohydrate diet (on average 8-12 grams per kg of body weight). This provides enough fuel for someone training six hours a day.

To maintain energy levels for the high volume of training, athletes must consume nutrient and calorie dense foods that contain significant amounts of vitamins, minerals and calories for their volume. When daily energy needs rise above 4,000 calories, healthy fats (e.g. nuts, seeds, avocados, olive oil) are added because they are higher in calories than carbohydrates or proteins. Table 1 provides an example of a 6,000 calorie nutrition plan for an athlete in training.

2. Eat well consistently (food is more than fuel)

Athletes often ask, “What’s the best thing to eat before (or during) a competition?” The answer: “Whatever you used during training and practice.”

Remember that Olympians often train their entire lives for a moment. The foods, drinks and supplements consumed in the years and months leading up to this point contribute significantly more to performance than the foods consumed on race day. A customized and consistent nutrition program contributes to speed, strength and performance, recovery, weight management, inflammation control, sleep and cognitive health.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee Training Center (USOPCTC) cafeterias offer nutrient-dense, whole food options at every meal, including a salad bar, two starch options, two protein options, two non-starchy vegetable options, and soup. Cafeterias also offer grab-and-go yogurt, protein shakes, and energy/protein bars. The goal is to provide consistent and familiar fueling options.

3. Periodize your diet

Strength and conditioning professionals periodize physical training programs. This involves planning their athletes' training months in advance with periods of high intensity and high volume training combined with scheduled rest periods. A typical macrocycle (the longest period of a training program) lasts six to twelve months for most athletes (recreational or professional). However, an Olympic macrocycle can span four years (or five years due to the delay of the 2020 Games).

An Olympic athlete's food and fluid intake over a four-year period should follow a similar approach. Diet periodization, which includes fluctuations in total calorie and carbohydrate intake, varies between training cycles and even from day to day. In short, athletes consume more calories and carbohydrates during heavy training days (or weeks) and fewer during light training periods.

4. Practice safe supplementation

Elite athletes typically use a nutritional supplement at some point during training. Like energy needs, optimal supplementation practices depend on multiple factors, differ for each athlete, and change throughout training cycles.

Olympic athletes follow very strict requirements for medications and supplements provided by USADAand WADA. These requirements vary depending on the sport and competition season. Regardless, every single supplement taken by an elite athlete - even conventional supplements such as multivitamins and protein powders - should be from reputable companies such as: NSF Sports and informed Selection /Sport. This process ensures that products contain the amounts of ingredients stated on the label and are free of banned substances.

For more information about dietary supplements and athletes, see Team USA Anti-Doping Education.

5. Follow USA Nutrition Team instructions

Team USA athletes have different energy needs, preferences and practices that sports dieters must consider when creating nutrition plans. For example, some athletes prefer light meals before training with heavy spreads after training, while others tolerate training on a fuller stomach and eat large meals before training. Other athletes may prefer to gain more energy during workouts and workouts. If an athlete consumes adequate energy throughout the day (a 12-16 hour feeding window), they minimize the risk of developing relative energy deficiency in sports syndrome (RED-S).

Some sports also allow for easier fueling during the event; For example, road cycling allows for food and drink storage and the use of one hand. In contrast, wrestling makes eating while training difficult. Therefore, refueling outside of training hours may be more relevant for a wrestler than a cyclist.

While sports dieters generally do not promote any particular eating plan, many athletes have dietary restrictions for personal, spiritual, or allergy-related reasons. Nutritionists support these restrictions by offering alternatives and/or recommending supplements to prevent energy and nutrient deficiencies.

“Stick to the basics…and do them well” could be described as the mantra of Team USA Sport Dietitians. The Olympic meal plan is nothing special – it requires real food (lots of it) on a regular basis. Traveling requires foresight and planning to incorporate familiar foods and safe nutritional supplements. Ultimately, the 5-year health plan contributes significantly more to game day performance than a single pre-game meal.

What does 6,000 calories look like?

This is an example of a 6,000 calorie training day and eating plan for a high-energy athlete (half of the famous Michael Phelps diet). Note: This may be a suboptimal plan for anyone who trains less than five hours per day.

*Kraft oatmeal

(650 calories, 90 g carbohydrates, 18 g protein, 25 g fat):

• ¾ Tasse Haferflocken
• 4 Unzen Vollmilch oder Vanille-Sojamilch
• 4 Unzen Wasser
• 1 EL Chiasamen
• 1 EL dunkle Schokoladenstückchen
• ¼ Tasse getrocknete Sauerkirschen
• 1 EL Mandel- oder Erdnussbutter
• Meersalz (nach Geschmack)

Directions

Cook the oats in milk and water until desired consistency - mix in chia seeds, nut butter, dark chocolate chips and salt. Top with dried cherries. For an overnight oats version, replace chocolate chips with 1 tbsp cocoa powder + 1 tbsp honey.

**Super Berry high calorie smoothie

(630 calories, 78g carbs, 35g protein, 24g fat):

• 1 Tasse gefrorene gemischte Beeren
• ½ Tasse Sauerkirschsaft
• ½ Tasse Milch (Vollmilch oder Vanille-Pflanzenmilch)
• 1 Messlöffel Vanilleproteinpulver
• 1 EL Chiasamen
• 1 EL Leinsamenmehl
• 1 Tasse roher Spinat
• 1 Tasse roher Babykohl
• ½ Banane
• 2 TL Agavennektar
• 1 EL Kokosöl

Directions

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Add milk or juice as needed to reach desired consistency. Without agave and coconut oil, the total amount is reduced by around 160 calories.