The Recipe For Success – Comparing the Diets of Elite Athletes

August 22, 2024

Reaching the pinnacle of any sport is a long and gruelling journey. Early morning starts, brutal training camps and seemingly endless gym sessions are just some of the challenges that athletes face daily to make it to the top.

But it isn’t just the gym where champions are made, they also come from the kitchen. Nutrition is key to every athlete’s development and performance, with nutritionists and dietitians playing essential roles in the background.

To dig deeper into the role of nutrition in developing future champions, Net World Sports has analysed the demands required to make it to the top in heavyweight boxing, weightlifting, running and swimming.

The study puts the diets of Tyson Fury, Lasha Talakhadze, Eliud Kipchoge and Michael Phelps under the microscope – analysing daily calories, macros, meal plans and the cost of eating like a champion vs the average adult male, to reveal the recipe for success.

Average Daily Calorie Intake

Elite athletes must consume a huge number of calories to fuel their activity and support muscle growth & recovery.

Each sport brings with it a unique split of macro nutritional demands, but one thing stays the same, the calories that they intake are significantly above the recommended amount for the average adult male.

The biggest of which comes in the form of elite swimming, with Michael Phelps consuming almost 11,042 calories per day to support his training plan which includes up to six hours in the pool a day – this is a massive 341% above the daily recommended amount for the average adult male (2,500), with the recommended amount for the average adult female being 2,000.

Weightlifter and double Olympic Champion Lasha Talakhadze, holds the current world record for the Snatch and the Clean & Jerk, with lifts of 225kg and 267kg respectively. His daily intake of 8,302 calories – 232% above the recommended amount, is required to support his intensive training regime.

Powered by a significant amount of fats and protein, heavyweight boxers, specifically Tyson Fury, consumed 6082 calories (143% above the recommended amount) to support his demanding training camps, usually split up into five substantial meals.

Average Fat, Carbohydrate & Protein Intakes

The macro nutritional split of each athlete’s calories provides interesting insight into the demands of their sports. Each sport requires different skill sets and demands, which makes the foods they intake critical to their physical development and performance.

Unsurprisingly, marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge’s diet includes the highest percentage (66%) of carbohydrates, with the Kenyan’s cardiovascular-heavy training plan requiring a huge amount of energy. But despite this being the highest of the athletes in the study, this percentage is a similar amount to that recommended for the average adult male.

Heavyweight boxing is the macro profile with the highest split of fats, with Tyson Fury consuming around 35% – significantly above the recommended amount (11%). Fury’s meal plan consists of around 280g of fats daily, which is equivalent to just under 12 medium-size avocados a day.

Protein is the most important nutrition when it comes to muscle growth and repair, with weightlifters and heavyweight boxers consuming it in huge amounts. However, our research reveals that Michael Phelps’ meal plan contains the biggest split, with 27% of his diet consisting of protein intake. Elite swimmers push their bodies to the limit, which makes the 460g of protein, equivalent to 22 portions of salmon, essential for recovery.

What does a day of eating like a Champion look like?

The number of calories is off the scale, but what does look like daily? Our research reveals each athlete’s daily meal plans, with huge quantities of food required to fuel their activity.

Michael Phelps – 11,042 Calories a Day

Being a 23-time Olympic Champion requires incredible sacrifice, devotion, and a lot of food.

The US swimming legend kick starts his day with a huge 12-item breakfast which includes pancakes, French toast and an omelette. Such is the massive scale of his breakfast; it contains more calories (3,500) than Eliud Kipchoge’s entire daily intake (3,077) and the recommended daily amount for the average adult male (2,500).

As the day progresses, he has a relatively light lunch by his standards, consuming just over 2000 calories. This is followed by an afternoon snack which is packed full of fats and carbohydrates, through almonds, walnuts, cashews and peanut butter.

His final meal of the day includes almost 300g of carbs, with his dinner consisting of pasta with carbonara sauce and a large pizza. This is followed by an evening snack of berries and yoghurt with honey and dark chocolate, again packed full of carbs with over 900g to see him through the remainder of the day.

Lasha Talakhadze – 8,302 Calories a Day

Continuing with the theme of enormous breakfasts, Champion weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze consumes almost 110g of protein and 2,000 calories, this includes six eggs, oatmeal and bananas. Followed by a carb-heavy snack of toast with peanut butter and a protein shake.

Lasha’s lunch and afternoon snack includes almost a kilogram of grilled chicken and quinoa, along with cottage cheese and almond butter. These two meals include over a third of his daily carbs (252g) to support his afternoon workouts.

He rounds off his day with dinner and an evening snack which contains large quantities of salmon (600g), vegetables and fruit. These two meals include a significant amount of protein (169g) and carbs (186g) to aid recovery and set up the following days exploits.

Tyson Fury – 6,082 Calories a Day

Competing as a heavyweight boxer demands a meal plan loaded with protein and calories to power intense workouts. Unlike Talakhadze and Phelps, Tyson Fury splits his meal plan into five meals rather than six. He starts his day with a hearty breakfast consisting of potatoes, avocado, eggs and turkey bacon,

To maintain energy levels during training sessions, Fury consumes a mid-morning snack of Greek yogurt mixed with peanut butter and honey to provide a quick boost of energy and protein.

The following lunch and afternoon meals is where Fury consumes the bulk of his daily protein intake, with two Salmon fillets during lunch and further two BBQ chicken breasts in the afternoon for 293g of protein.

Fury rounds of his day with an evening snack with another serving of Greek yoghurt with granola and berries to provide an additional boost of protein and carbs to aid in recovery and rebuilding energy levels during the night.

Eliud Kipchoge – 3077 Calories a Day

At first glance, Eliud Kipchoge’s diet might not seem too different to that of a normal meal plan. Unlike the calorific plans spread across five or six meals favoured by athletes from other sports, Kipchoge’s meal plan is comprised of just four meals, which reach a little over 3,000 calories in total. However, his diet has been carefully constructed to support the gruelling demands of long-distance running.

Eliud begins his day with three cups of tea with sugar to provide hydration and a source of energy, alongside two slices of toast for slow-releasing carbs for sustained energy. This is also followed by a carb-heavy lunch consisting of rice, potatoes, and beans, for fibre and additional protein.

For dinner, Kipchoge enjoys Ugali, a traditional Kenyan cornmeal dish served with a beef stew and a leafy green sukuma. He ends his day with a simple snack of mixed fruits and mursik (fermented milk), offering a final, balanced dose of carbs and protein.

How much does it cost to eat like a Champion?

The monthly food bill can add up quickly. Using figures from the ONS Consumer Price Index for Food, we calculated the cost of recreating this meal plans.

Michael Phelps – £1,150.80 per month

Recreating the legendary swimmer’s diet would set you back £1,150 per month. At £5 per day, the priciest item was Phelp’s daily large pizza, which highlights the calorie dense nature of his meals.

Lasha Talakhadze – £1,380.60 per month

The most expensive meal plan belongs to Lasha Talakhadze at £1,380 per month. Weightlifting demands a high-protein intake to support building muscle and Talakhadze’s diet reflects this, with the most expensive item being two grilled salmon fillets, costing £12.

Tyson Fury – £1,364.40

Tyson Fury’s diet follows closely at £1,364.40 per month. To maintain his muscle mass and remain in the correct weight class, heavyweight boxers need to consume high levels calories and protein. Like Talakhadze, his most expensive items are also salmon fillets, priced at £7.92.

Eliud Kipchoge – £249.00

Despite being the one the greatest marathon runners, Kipchoge’s diet is surprisingly affordable by comparison, costing roughly £249 per month or £8 per day. The challenge in recreating Kipchoge’s meal plan lies in resisting the urge to snack in between meals to maintain a lean physique.

Methodology:

The research aims to analyse the calorie and macronutrient breakdown of four sports (Swimming, Weightlifting, Heavyweight Boxing and Marathon Running). Meal plans were developed based on data surrounding prominent athletes in those sports. Meal plans were reconstructed through thorough desk research, including interviews and nutritional articles from trusted sources. With dietary plans and calorie intakes recorded, we can then use that to uncover the costs associated as well as the macro-nutrient breakdown.

Offering comparative analysis to the average adult male in the United Kingdom as well as comparisons between athletes/sports. Using the ONS Consumer Price Index of Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages, we calculated the costs for each meal plan five years ago to reveal the impact of inflation.

Disclaimer: The following diets have been constructed based on the practices of elite male athletes only and recognise that female athletes will require also a different number of calories. Those considering training professionally in a sport should consult a qualified nutritionist. Please note that we do not have any insider information on the specific diets of these athletes.

Sources