It's a Herculean effort to consume enough calories to power an Olympic athlete; the 2,000-calorie diet recommended for mere mortals is vastly insufficient for these elite individuals. Today's New York Times explores the calories six Beijing Olympians consume on a daily basis. On the low end, there's Cheryl Haworth, a weightlifter who consumes 3,000-4,000 calories a day. Rower Brett Newlin, on the other hand, eats 6,000 calories per day.
But what of swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time? His daily recommended calorie intake is 8,000-10,000 calories. A god among men, at least in the swimming and eating departments.
Ridiculously High-Calorie Diets
Caloric Consumption of Beijing Olympic Athletes
Trend Themes
1. High-calorie Diets for Athletes - Opportunities for developing specialized high-calorie meal plans and products for athletes to meet their demanding nutritional needs.
2. Personalized Nutrition for Elite Athletes - Potential for offering personalized nutrition coaching and meal delivery services tailored to the specific caloric requirements of individual athletes.
3. Optimizing Performance Through Caloric Intake - Innovations in tracking and monitoring systems that help athletes optimize their performance by precisely managing their caloric intake.
Industry Implications
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3. Fitness Tracking Technology - Opportunity for companies in the fitness tracking industry to develop advanced tools for athletes to track and optimize their caloric intake.