It’s no secret that, to excel during the games, Olympians must fuel their bodies with lots of food full of the right combination of vitamins and minerals. Some sports, namely swimming, burn calories at an especially high rate (1,500 calories/hour!). For this reason, swimmers need to load up more on carbohydrates because they create instant energy and break down faster than proteins.
Michael Phelps for instance, confessed to eating a 12,000 calorie diet during his five hour/day, 6 day/week training period. His outrageous eating schedule inspired a few daring people out there to attempt it at home. Let me know when you’re done cringing.
Phelps has since joined fellow Olympians Nastia Liukin and Apolo Anton Ohno in becoming a spokesperson for Subway.
Photo by Subway Eat Fresh
Jamaican Gold medalist Yohan Blake revealed that he eats 16 bananas every day in order to boost stamina. He even confessed to eating chicken nuggets before every race, bringing new meaning to McDonald’s “Eat Like an Olympian” campaign and its role as the official restaurant of the Olympic games.
Photo by McDonalds.com
I know what you’re thinking. Do Olympic athletes really eat McDonald’s? Isn’t all that soda, fried and processed food the worst thing an Olympian can eat?
Photo by Simple Simon
Believe it or not, many Olympic athletes do eat McDonald’s. According to Olympic medalist Garret Weber-Gale, he has seen many athletes load up on McDonald’s in the Olympic village. While some eat it right before their event, others only eat it occasionally or after competition.
Regardless, it appears that athletes eat McDonald’s because it represents a familiar face in a crowd. Athletes coming to a new country are overwhelmed at first, and they choose McDonald’s because they know it is a comfortable choice, as volleyball star Kerri Walsh explains.
In short, it appears that Olympic athletes can indulge on just about anything because they exercise for so long. While some opt for healthier foods than others, it appears that any Olympic athlete can afford to indulge in unhealthy foods. I’ll leave you with one final image of some statistics that summarize just how much these athletes can really eat.
Photo by CNN.com