Should All Athletes Eat Like Michael Phelps?

Are you enjoying watching Michael Phelps sweeping up more Olympic gold medals? I surely am! He's an amazing athlete. Although, as a Registered Dietitian, I was shocked to see what he eats! NBC even interviewed a chef/ owner from a local diner where he always hangs out. Greasy sandwiches, loads and loads of food, all totaling about 9,000+ calories per day. Pretty amazing and of course, his body definitely needs that much energy to fuel all of the exercise his 6 foot something body does everyday!

To put it in perspective, an average 160# person would have to swim about 15 hours to burn 9,000 or so calories! So in other words.... even if you're an athlete, don't start eating like Michael Phelps. In fact, I think he needs to work a Registered Dietitian :) To check out how many calories you do based on various activities, click here.

Tip of the day for athletes: refuel your muscles within 1 - 2 hours after a workout with carbs & protein. For example: a glass of chocolate milk (low fat) or a PB & J sandwich on whole grain bread and some plain old water too!

Staying Hydrated & My Favorite Water Bottle

Don't wait until you are thirsty to drink! Why? By the time your body signals thirst you are already about 1% dehydrated. That may not sound like a big deal but if you're an athlete it is! In fact, by the time you are just 2% dehydrated your performance can decline by 15% OR MORE! So, drink fluids (mostly water) throughout the day! Click here to check out my favorite type of water bottles!