You’ve probably heard the slogan “Breakfast of Champions.” But for elite athletes, there’s a lot more to consider than a bowl of wheat when it comes to fueling up to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
From morning to night, athletes focus on meeting nutrient goals to optimize their strength, energy and endurance for medal-worthy performance. And they created plans to ensure that international travel and Challenges facing restaurants in Vila Olímpica don’t get in the way of that.
After all, you need to eat like an Olympic athlete to perform like one. Here’s a look at how some members of the US team are doing just that.
It is the Olympic debut of smashand Choi leaves nothing to chance, not even the athletes’ village’s executive chef, Charles Guilloy.
“To be honest, I have a lot of food preferences when I’m training and some restrictions too. So I always have trouble eating almost everywhere I go. I’m always mentally prepared to travel,” she told Yahoo Life.
What did she pack: “I’m going to buy packaged boiled eggs because they’re rich in protein and easy to eat whenever I need them. And then I’ll get a package of smoked salmon or some tuna and some crackers. I always have packets of oats,” says Choi. She also travels with supplements and protein powders in case she is low on protein. “I’m actually a pescatarian, so I don’t have a lot of really high-protein sources.”
Pre-game meal: “Going on a full stomach is like getting on a roller coaster with a full stomach. Those are things you don’t really do,” she says, noting that it will leave “a big gap” between a meal and whichever rounds you’re competing in.
Your addiction: “I have a sweet tooth and that doesn’t go away when I’m working out,” says Choi, who teamed up with Incredible Egg to create a protein rich cream to satisfy these desires. “If you told me that to go to the Olympics I would have to give up sweets completely, I could have said no.”
The 18-year-old just graduated from high school and is preparing to swim and attend Stanford University. Before heading to campus, she’s heading to Paris and brushing up on her nutrition.
“I’ve been experimenting a lot,” Field tells Yahoo Life about his eating plan for training and competing. “For three months I literally [eat] the same things, and then I would evaluate how it worked for me.” She might adjust a meal or ingredient for the following months to make sure she’s feeling good about the routine.
For the Games, she offers yogurt bowls, chicken with rice or salad and lots of snacks.
What did she pack: Her favorite snacks are Bobo oat bars, That’s It fruit bars, and Purely Elizabeth granola. “We like to eat a lot of fast-digesting carbs because protein can feel very heavy, and because our bodies are tired, it can take a long time to digest,” she says of herself and her teammates.
Pre-game meal: “If we are competing at 8 p.m. [Paris time]I would say the last time I would probably eat [a meal] it’s about 2 p.m.,” she says, noting that she would have a snack at some point. “I try to have at least four hours before I compete where I don’t eat a lot.”
Your addiction: What she looks forward to most while competing abroad is eating a croissant, “because I really want a French croissant,” she says.
Even as a top foil fencer, nerves can stand between Itkin and a hearty breakfast. “I find it very difficult to eat a lot in the morning,” he told Yahoo Life. But it certainly pays off throughout the day.
What did he pack: While you probably won’t be able to catch it without snack bars and fruit, Itkin also promises to have supplements nearby. “Sometimes food alone isn’t enough if I’m training hard. So I’ll take all the extra vitamins to make sure I’m healthy and on top of my body,” he says. “And lots of electrolytes.”
Meal before the game: “My goal is to eat a lot of carbs the day before and the day after,” he says. And unlike other athletes, Itkin says he can continue eating while competing.
Your addiction: “Energy chews,” he says. “That’s the main thing I’m [having] when I’m fencing.”
In keeping with her sport and the three events she has qualified to compete in, Leibfarth is good at going with the flow.
“I don’t really have a set [meal] plan that I follow. I set goals for how much protein I needed per day. And I kind of have a pretty good idea of what I need to fuel my body,” she told Yahoo Life. “I don’t do anything special or change anything about the races.”
What did she pack: “In fact, I often carry packaged macaroni and cheese with me, which is obviously not a good performance food,” she says. “It’s just one of those comfort foods for if I’m really struggling with food [at competitions]. But that’s probably the only thing I take with me. The rest I can find wherever I am.”
Pre-game meal: Although she isn’t a picky eater, she still likes to examine a meal before a big competition. “I kind of test things out before I eat them on race day. I see how it is [affects] I don’t workout first,” she says, noting that something simple with protein is her preference.
Your addiction: Eat out. “When I’m traveling, I like to spend the first few days of boot camp looking for restaurants I like,” she says.
