BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
New research into top Olympic athletes’ diets has revealed the measures they take in order to stay in shape and bring home the gold.
The infographic shows that there is variation across the sector, with long-distance events like cycling requiring a higher quantity of carbohydrates than strength-based events, which encourage athletes to consume copious amounts of protein to build muscle. Olympic cyclist Chris Hoy consumes between 5,000 and 6,000 calories daily, and roughly three to five grams of carbs per pound of body weight. Sports like sailing, on the other hand, necessitate that Olympians eat "brain food", in order to help them make quick decisions.
The research has looked at athletes in a number of sports across the Olympic canon. On the whole, it seems like a balanced diet with regular small plates of food and supplements after training is the general consensus; check out the Diet of an Olympian infographic to find out what you need to be eating to stand any chance of making the games.
You can find out more here.
