Eat Smart Like an Olympian

We continue our series on the Olympics, turning to the topic of food. Olympic athletes need some serious fuel to accomplish what they do in the pool, on the balance beam, or on the soccer field. What does an Olympian eat in a typical day?

Even though we probably won’t make it to Pyeongchang, South Korea for the 2018 Winter Olympics or to Tokyo, Japan in 2020, we can all adopt some of the healthy dietary habits that Olympic athletes follow. We took a look at interviews with athletes, their coaches, and their dietitians to learn what the athletes eat. We also reviewed some studies on eating healthfully for sports (and life) performance, disease prevention, and generally feeling great. These are just a few tips from Olympians, their trainers, and scientific study.

Eat small meals throughout the day

In TIME magazine, two Olympic athletes shared what they eat in a typical day. American rower Seth Weil starts his day at 6:00am with coffee and peanut butter and jelly on a tortilla. He eats again at 9:00am, has a mid-morning snack or two, followed by lunch, another snack, a recovery shake after his second practice of the day, dinner, and some hummus before bed. Long distance runner Shalane Flanagan has breakfast at 6:30am, a smoothie, a grain salad for lunch, a snack at 4:00, dinner at 6, and another snack at 8:30pm.

Scientific studies show that, for regular people the evidence is mixed when it comes to eating multiple small meals throughout the day. One study of about 500 participants found that eating four or more times throughout the day was associated with a lower risk of obesity, compared to people who ate three or fewer times per day. That study was observational, so the results report on what behaviors and outcomes were observed in the population.

Alternatively, an intervention study randomized 16 obese adults to eat either three meals plus three snacks per day or to eat just three meals per day and found different results. While both groups consumed the same amount of energy, there was not a significant difference in weight loss between the groups.

The take-home message is that you might benefit from eating frequently throughout the day, but only if you’re not consuming more total food than you would otherwise. The most important behavior is to eat nutrient-rich meals and snacks to keep feeling full and energized.

Eat plant-based

There are Olympic athletes who have adopted a largely plant-based diet and have had great success, like Venus Williams or Carl Lewis. Even those who aren’t vegan or vegetarian benefit from plant-based proteins like quinoa or veggie smoothies that are rich in antioxidants and fiber. For example, runner Alysia Montaño told eatingwell.com that she eats homemade energy bars made of quinoa and hurdler David Oliver makes a delicious beet smoothie to fuel up for a run.

Americans tend to eat a lot of meat, but many studies and dietary guidelines tout the benefits of plant proteins to reduce the risk of developing many chronic diseases. Long-term studies of large populations have found that we can reduce our risk of developing heart disease and other chronic conditions by adding more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains (like quinoa) to our diets.

The 2015–2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends eating two and a half cups of vegetables per day and two cups of fruit per day. In order to optimize your performance at work and in your workouts for your whole life, go more plant-based!

What to Remember

As the University of Utah HealthFeed reminds us, “your weekend warrior pursuits or daily power walks [don’t] justify anywhere near the caloric mega-consumption required by Olympic athletes.” That said, a registered dietitian (find him or her on EthosWell!) may help you with healthy eating strategies like meal planning, portion control, eating more plants, and drinking plenty of water. As you watch the American women’s gymnastics team take home another gold medal, sip on some water and do a few a squats for good measure. Go USA!

References

Cameron JD; Cyr MJ; Doucet E. Increased meal frequency does not promote greater weight loss in subjects who were prescribed an 8-week equi-energetic energy-restricted diet. Br J Nutr. 2010 Apr;103(8):1098–101.

Hu FB. Plant-based foods and prevention of cardiovascular disease: an overview. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78(3):5445–5515.

Ma Y; Bertone ER; Stanek EJ; et al. Association between eating patterns and obesity in a free-living US adult population. Am J Epidemiol. 2003;158(1):85–92.

About the Author

Jenna Troup spearheads EthosWell’s wellness research and works in both traditional and alternative medicine. She has a Masters in Public Health from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and is a devoted spin class attendee and yoga practitioner. Contact her on Twitter: @JennaCTroup and @EthosWell.