What do Olympic Athletes Eat?

With the Olympics just behind us, people across the globe have been watching the world's best athletes perform super-human feats of strength, agility and co-ordination and wondering among other things, what exactly do these elite sports people eat?

Incredibly, Olympic athletes need approximately three times as many calories per day as the average human being – about 6,500. Breakfast is the first meal of the day when they can start to get this energy needed to fuel their sporting activities.

Here we list what 4 of the greatest male Olympians of all time eat for breakfast:

Bradley Wiggins - Cycling

Photo source: Flickr http://tinyurl.com/zmyxh89

Bradley Wiggins is now Britain's most decorated Olympian: five gold's, one silver and two bronze medals.

According to his nutritionist Nigel Mitchell, Bradley starts his day with a good quality porridge or muesli, as these release their energy and carbohydrates slowly. He also adds a teaspoon of goji berries, flax and sunflower seeds, to further enhance taste and ease digestion.

In fact, Bradley is such a fan of porridge that he even has a bowl before going to bed as he believes it's the most important meal of the day and porridge gives his body the fuel it needs to repair and grow while he sleeps.

Michael Phelps - Swimming

Photo source: Flickr http://tinyurl.com/zzfdr88

The USA swimmer Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 28 medals. He consumes an incredible 12,000 calories per day. That's about the equivalent of 6 people!!

According to his own website, Michael's breakfast alone consists mainly of eggs – lots of eggs. A five egg omelette followed by 3 fried egg sandwiches is standard for him every morning. In addition he then consumes porridge for slow release energy followed by a big plate of pancakes!

Alistair Brownlee - Triathlon

Photo source: Flickr http://tinyurl.com/hpgw3th

Alistair Brownlee is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in the triathlon, and the only athlete to win two Olympic titles in the event.

Unlike his brother Jonny (also an Olympic silver and bronze medalist) who starts his day with muesli and toast, Alistair goes for porridge with Nutella and toast .

Fitness Nutritionist Rick Hay says that Alistair's breakfast is good although the Nutella isn't as good as nut butter, but it is a nice protein hit. And porridge gives him those slow-release carbs.

Mo Farrah - Running

Photo source: Flickr http://tinyurl.com/jkdo3fd

Mo Farrah is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history. He is also only the second man in history to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships, and the first in history to do the quadruple-double.

Like Alistair Brownlee, Mo goes for porridge and toast for breakfast. Rick Hay says that as long as the bread is brown, it's great for breakfast, as it will give him fibre and carbs, helping him regulate energy release throughout the day.

In summary

The success of these Olympic Athletes is a result of a lifetime of dedication, training and commitment in both exercise, discipline and nutrition. In sport where a thousand of a millisecond can mean the difference between 1 ^st and last, every tiny detail is important, including what you put into your body first thing in the morning.

What do you like to eat for breakfast before a big day of sport? Please add your ideas for energy foods in the comments section below!

Further Reading

Eating porridge cold?! Fabulous breakfast ideas and recipes for warm days	About fabulous porridge magic	Porridge recipe from Vegan Foodie Naturally Leyonee

About the Author

Hi, and welcome to the 3Bears Blog !

I am Tim and a Co-Founder of 3Bears . 3Bears Porridge is wholesome, tasty and has no added sugar or additives.

I love all things sport and especially how the right foods can help improve sporting performance. Follow this blog for more articles and comment below to join in the conversation.

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