In 2008, rumors swirled that the Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps consumed 12,000 calories a day while training for that year’s Beijing Olympics. He later debunked the statistic in a June 2017 interview with Men’s Health, saying his caloric intake was realistically somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 per day — but that did nothing to diminish the public’s interest in his eating habits and exactly what fuels the world’s elite athletes when they perform at their best.
With the Beijing Olympic Games kicking off this month, all eyes are on this year’s batch of top athletes, including Shaun White, Madison Chock, Mia Manganello, and Chloe Kim. Curious how those must-watch personalities as well as previous stars like Simone Biles, Katie Ledecky, Naomi Osaka, and Caeleb Dressel nourish their bodies to go for gold? We are, too!
What Do Olympians Eat?
Here’s a glimpse at what some of the world’s best athletes reportedly nosh on to perform (and feel!) like winners.
Shaun White: Beef Jerky
In July 2021 the snowboarder told New York Magazine’s The Strategist that his post-workout replenishment comes in the form of a plant-based meal-replacement shake. His go-to brand? Ka’Chava. “If I’m in a pinch, I just stir it in some water. But typically I use oat milk or almond milk, add in a banana or a little avocado, then blend it together,” White told the publication.
Another snack he keeps on hand? Beef jerky. “It is the perfect chairlift snack: There are only so many that I can bring on a mountain that don’t fall apart when I’m riding,” he told The Strategist. “And you can only eat so many bars. I keep some in my backpack when I skateboard, too.”
Madison Chock: Flaxseed Oatmeal
The figure skater starts her day with fiber with a cup of flaxseed oatmeal that she tops with other nutritious foods. “I like to add dried cranberries, fresh blueberries, and almond slivers,” Chock told Self in February 2018. After those fibrous eats, she digs into a second breakfast, which is after practice — ½ an avocado on Ezekiel bread, a few cubes of her favorite cheese, scrambled egg whites, and a cup of ginger tea with agave.
For dinner she’ll have “some type of protein, such as fish, chicken, or red meat” along with a side of veggies, according to the publication. “If I’m not too hungry, I will have a salad with avocado, beets, feta cheese, and cucumber,” she told Self.
Simone Biles: A Balanced Diet, From Pizza to Salmon
Biles, one of America’s golden girls of gymnastics and a champion of the importance of mental health, opts for balance, and avoids tracking her food and caloric intake. “I eat what I feel good with and try not to overeat or stuff myself because I’m always at the gym,” she told Women’s Health in October 2020. “For gymnasts, in particular, [tracking] can lead to health problems and eating issues, so I just eat what I know I can and should.” The 24-year-old told the women’s magazine that she is as much a fan of carbohydrate-heavy fare like pepperoni pizza and fettuccine Alfredo as she is of salmon and fresh veggies. She also occasionally drinks alcohol, she told the magazine.
Katie Ledecky: Chocolate Milk
Ledecky revealed to PureWow in September 2019 that her daily diet doesn’t exclude carbs, either. Toast, sandwiches, and berries are all on the menu — with energy-boosting protein like chicken and nut butter, as well. As a post-workout snack, Ledecky recovers with chocolate milk, which offers the perfect balance of protein and carbohydrates for optimal recovery.
Chloe Kim: Comfort Food
Snowboarding prodigy Chloe Kim is vocal about her love of food. As Today reported, her favorite restaurant is the sushi spot Sugarfish in Los Angeles, and she enjoys a smoothie made with coconut water, pineapple, agave nectar, pitaya, and strawberry from the juice bar Nekter in Colorado. Also on her preferred menu, according to her own documentation on social media: comfort foods like ice cream, pizza, and sweet and salty fare like churros, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal. “I don’t have a crazy diet,” she told PopSugar in February 2018, also revealing that her breakfast of choice is chocolate pancakes, some biscuits and gravy, toast, and cottage cheese, a lunch of pizza from CPK and french fries, and dinner from In-N-Out or Chipotle. “I eat whatever I crave; that’s who I am!” she told PopSugar. “I love food … just thinking about taking my favorite foods out of my diet would absolutely crush me.”
Naomi Osaka: Green Smoothies
Tennis champ Osaka, who, like Biles, has made headlines because of her mental health advocacy, and who represented Japan at the summer games in 2021, sticks to a morning routine that includes a green smoothie with kale, spinach, an electrolyte solution called Bodyarmor Lyte in coconut flavor, and kiwi, as she told PureWow in April 2021. “Before matches, I eat plain pasta with olives or chicken. It’s not too complicated,” she added.
Mia Manganello: Fresh Fruit and Juice
The speed skater fuels herself with clean, wholesome meals prior to competition. She revealed to Delish in July 2021 that her pre-practice breakfast consists of oatmeal with orange juice; lunch is avocado toast with an egg; and dinner is teriyaki salmon with white rice and sautéed veggies. She will also snack on fruit before her afternoon practice, according to Delish.
Caeleb Dressel: Meatloaf
Olympic gold medalist Dressel told USA Today in March 2020 that while he wasn’t sure how many calories he eats per day, he may be in a range similar to fellow swimmer Phelps. “I’m kind of like a horse: I just kind of eat throughout the day, so I’m not ever hungry. I don’t want to go to practice hungry,” he told USA Today. After his morning workout, he eats a meal with carbs, protein, fruit, and veggies. For dinner, he eats until he is full. One of his go-to meals? Meatloaf.
Why Olympic Athletes Make the Diet Choices They Do
The goal is to fuel up for performance. “Energy intake and needs will vary greatly between athletes,” says Kacie Vavrek, RD, a sports dietitian at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus. For example, a marathon runner might burn 2,000 calories or more during their event alone. Meanwhile an athlete running the 100 meter dash might burn less than 10 calories during their event. Overall, an athlete’s energy needs will depend on their training and the demands of their sport, “and can range from around 2,000 calories per day for a shorter-duration sport, such as for a sprinter or high-jumper, and up to 10,000 calories per day or more for a higher-demand sport such as swimming.”
This is why some Olympians, especially those with rigorous training schedules, don’t necessarily have to count calories, adds Siera Holley, RDN, also at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Many Olympians choose to practice mindfulness in honoring hunger and satiety cues rather than focusing on calorie counting and numbers. They make an effort to not skip meals and to incorporate healthy snacks throughout the day,” she explains. ”While most of their diets consist of nutrient-dense foods, they create balance by still enjoying foods like pizza and alcohol on occasion, too.”
While many events are endurance-based, they also require short bouts of high-intensity activity, says Amy Goodson, RD, a Dallas-based sports nutritionist. Overall, an Olympic diet is a generally healthy diet featuring a mixture of carbohydrates (for energy), protein (to build lean body mass and stabilize blood sugar for satiety), and omega-3 healthy fats like fatty fish and ground flaxseeds (to quell inflammation for recovery and increase calories) — plus lots of fruits and veggies for their antioxidants and fiber. “The more nutrient-rich the diet eaten, the better the athletes are able to recover after training,” she says.
Vavrek notes that Olympians also eat frequently. “Athletes at this level need to be fueling their bodies throughout the entire day and will likely consume many meals and snacks,” she says. “[These foods] will contain a combination of carbohydrate and protein foods for muscle recovery and injury prevention.”
At the same time, the types of carbs, proteins, and fats matter when it comes to nutrition, says Tara Collingwood, RDN, a board-certified sports dietitian and a certified personal trainer in Orlando, Florida. For example, she praises Chock’s choice of whole grains (oats, Ezekiel bread), salads with high nutrient veggies (beets), good fruits, and healthy fats (flax, almonds, avocado). “Egg whites are great, but a lot of the nutrition is in the yolk as well,” she notes.
And yes, there are desserts here and there. But athletes at the top of their sport don’t want to feel bogged down by a huge meal. For example, they wouldn’t eat a burger prior to a competition, she says. While they can afford to eat more calories, they also tend to choose better sources, like avocados, candy-free trail mix, and nut butters.
This is where Chloe Kim’s diet might be problematic, Collingwood points out. “While balance is key,” Collingwood says, “it sounds like this day is filled with a lot of processed foods that have little to no nutritional value. An athlete (and the rest of us!) need vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, lean proteins, fiber, et cetera, not only to perform and focus well, but also for overall good health and recovery.”
Furthermore, top athletes make sure to hydrate appropriately. “Elite athletes know the importance of hydration for athletic performance and are likely drinking a lot of water throughout the day. Athletes who exercise outside in the heat will likely be taking in large amounts of both fluids and electrolytes to stay hydrated,” Vavrek explains. Endurance athletes, regardless of where they are exercising, can also benefit from electrolytes.
Should You Eat Like an Olympic Athlete? Why or Why Not?
Goodson recommends the 80/20 rule for everyday folks and athletes. That’s when you go with healthy choices 80 percent of the time and leave 20 percent of the time for “fun foods.” An athlete may rein that in to 90/10 the closer they get to competition.
So, should you eat like an Olympian? Yes and no.
Unless you’re training multiple hours a day for an event, you probably don’t need to eat the calorie load they do. “If an everyday person consumed 5,000 to 8,000 calories in a day, it would likely lead to significant weight gain, even if they exercised regularly,” says Vavrek. Plus, these athletes are working with sports dietitians to make sure their diets are on point.
For those of us who exercise but aren’t Olympic athletes, the same general nutrition principles apply: “Eat an overall balanced diet with a variety of vegetables, fruit, lean protein sources, whole grains, and healthy types of fats,” says Lynn Grieger, RDN, CDCES, a Prescott, Arizona–based sports nutritionist and certified personal trainer for the diet app Rise. Grieger is also a medical reviewer for Everyday Health.
The basic tenets of eating well — a mix of nutrient-dense foods plus limited splurges of craveworthy eats — applies to everyone. “Sticking to that is what helps athletes succeed and the everyday person reach their goals,” adds Goodson.
Takeaway Eating Tips Inspired by Olympians
While eating exactly like an Olympian might not be in your best interest, Collingwood offers some digestible tips inspired by the gold medal hopefuls.
Fuel Up Before a Workout
Always eat before you begin your sweat session, Collingwood points out, even if it’s something small. (And yes, even before early-morning workouts!) “Depending on the length, it could just be some high carb snacks like a granola bar or some dry cereal or [a] piece of fruit,” she says. “If it is a longer workout, then include protein or fat, like peanut butter toast or some yogurt with granola.”
Post-Workout Meals Help With Recovery
Collingwood suggests always eating a small snack after exercise, too. She called Ledecky’s chocolate milk choice a smart one for post-workout recovery. “It has all four things you need after: carbs, protein, liquid, and electrolytes. Then follow that snack immediately after exercise with a full meal of protein, carbs, fruits and veggies, and some fat,” she suggests.
Listen to Your Body
Collingwood echoes Simone Biles, suggesting that you listen to your body when making dietary choices. “Follow your hunger and satisfaction cues. Stop when you are satisfied or just full (not overfull). Eat when you are hungry, no matter what time the clock says.”
Drink a Plant-Based Smoothie
Nutritious and low-sugar smoothies, à la White’s, are a great way to get good nutrition in a compact and portable way when whole foods aren’t convenient. “Plant-based protein like the Ka’Chava is excellent, but whey protein powder is also an excellent option,” Collingwood says. “I always recommend combining it with fresh or frozen fruit and milk or nut-based milk that is calcium fortified for even more nutritional value, versus just adding powder to water.”
Nibble on Healthy Snacks
Collingwood advises following the Olympians’ lead by making snacks a regular dietary habit. “They are eating their meals, but using snacks strategically to bridge them from one meal to the next,” she explains. “Snacking helps to provide more nutrients (when you’re consuming a nutritious snack) for an athlete who is burning a lot of calories throughout the day and needs the carbs and protein for energy and repair of muscles.” Snacking is also prevention: “It prevents a person from getting ravenously hungry at their next meal, which often leads to poor nutritional choices and overeating,” she adds. A snack could provide an extra hour or two of satisfaction before hunger sets in again.
Don’t Deprive Yourself, but Add Nutritional Value
Speaking of nutrition, prioritize it — rather than thinking about cutting foods out of your diet, Collingwood says. “Add some fruit to breakfast, put some veggies on the pizza, or have a side salad or vegetable instead of french fries,” she explains. “I encourage the athletes I work with to include their favorite foods, but limit the less nutritious ones to one choice per day and vary those choices so you can get all your favorites in each week and not just all in one day.”
