{"id":280726,"date":"2026-02-12T16:35:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:35:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/280726\/"},"modified":"2026-02-12T16:35:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T16:35:10","slug":"want-to-train-like-a-winter-olympics-athlete-heres-what-to-eat-when-and-how-often","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/280726\/","title":{"rendered":"Want to train like a Winter Olympics athlete? Here\u2019s what to eat, when and how often"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n As some of the world\u2019s top athletes gather in northern Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympics, many may enjoy the country\u2019s pasta and pizza<\/a> while sticking closely to their optimal nutrition routines and plans.\n <\/p>\n

\n For many Olympians, knowing when and what to eat can be just as crucial as the hours spent training on the ice, snow or track.\n <\/p>\n

\n Inside the Milan Olympic Village\u2019s main dining hall, where athletes and team officials gather throughout the day, there are various menus tailored to athletes\u2019 nutritional needs and cultural preferences. The scale of the operation includes preparing about 3,000 eggs and approximately 450 kilograms of pasta each day, according to the Olympics website<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n The main dining hall serves about 3,400 meals per day, across six food stations \u2014 and those meals go hand in hand with training.\n <\/p>\n

\"Many<\/p>\n

\"At<\/p>\n

\n Nutrition supports the \u201cactual physical training\u201d and fuels peak performance, said Kristen Gravani, a performance and food allergy dietitian at Stanford University who has worked with numerous Olympic athletes.\n <\/p>\n

\n Of course, due to how active they are, most Olympic athletes probably consume and burn more energy than the average person. For instance, during his Olympic training, US competitive swimmer Michael Phelps claimed to consume 10,000 calories<\/a> in a day, and Jamaican sprinter Yohan Blake said 16 ripe bananas<\/a> every day were his secret for running.\n <\/p>\n

\n But calorie intake and extreme eating habits<\/a> aside, there are some key practices in Olympic athletes\u2019 training and nutrition that the average person can emulate.\n <\/p>\n

\n The intricacies of the dietary recommendations Gravani makes for highly active Olympians differ from what she would recommend for the average adult working a desk job, but she says the general public can still \u201cget inspiration\u201d from how Olympians eat.\n <\/p>\n

\n In high-stakes competition, nutrition \u2014 and the timing around it \u2014 can shape how well athletes train, recover and ultimately perform, said Dr. Dan Benardot, a professor at Emory University<\/a> and registered dietitian who has been the nutritionist for several Team USA athletes.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhen I was working with the US marathon team \u2026 I asked them, \u2018What\u2019s your eating pattern like?\u2019 And they said, \u2018Well, we wake up in the morning, we go for a morning run, we come back home, we have breakfast, something to eat.\u2019 And I said, \u2018Well, wait a second, don\u2019t tell me anything else. That\u2019s already a mistake,\u2019\u201d Benardot recalled.\n <\/p>\n

\"When<\/p>\n

\n One of the most important things an athlete can do in the morning is eat something before they start training, he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cHave a little something. It doesn\u2019t have to be a lot. Just enough to have a normal blood sugar and hydration state,\u201d said Benardot, who worked with US marathoners at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. \u201cThe next time I met with them, most of them gave me a hug. They said, \u2018I\u2019ve never felt so good.\u2019\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n For the average person, Gravani also recommends a quick snack before exercise. But timing is just one piece of the puzzle; what that snack may be can make a difference for training and performance.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cA preworkout snack I love is a low-fiber fruit or crackers, and if there\u2019s enough time before the training, then we can pair that with a small amount of protein or a small amount of fat. For instance, a banana with a little bit of peanut butter would be great,\u201d said Gravani, who also serves as consulting sports dietitian at Stanford Medicine.\n <\/p>\n

\n For instance, you could slice bananas, place them in muffin cups or ice tray molds, add a spoonful of peanut butter on top of each slice and then freeze them to make frozen banana peanut butter cups<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\"Banana<\/p>\n

\n Gravani added that it\u2019s also important to also eat after exercise.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cFor postworkout recovery, I recommend a combination of protein and carbohydrates, with the carbohydrate ratio adjusted based on the endurance demands of the workout or sport,\u201d Gravani said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cA longer endurance-based workout requires more carbs, while a shorter or more strength-focused workout requires less,\u201d she said. \u201cEither way, a smoothie can be a versatile post-training option with a whey or vegetarian protein powder, fruit and liquid.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Benardot sometimes recommends beet juice<\/a>, which may improve fat metabolism, help ease muscle soreness<\/a> and support recovery after a tough workout, he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Beetroots have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, which could help reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress tied to muscle soreness. A review paper published in the journal Sports Health<\/a> in 2021 suggests that beetroot supplementation in the short term has the potential to accelerate recovery after exercise.\n <\/p>\n

\n In general, anti-inflammatory foods are beneficial for recovery after intense training for high-performance competitions like the Winter Olympics, said Jessica Arquette, an assistant professor and registered dietitian at Ohio University<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the mineral selenium and omega 3 essential fatty acids are usually accepted as the main antioxidant and \u2018anti-inflammatory\u2019 nutrients. These can be found in a variety of foods, including colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds and healthy fats such as salmon, flax and chia seeds,\u201d Arquette, who works with elite athletes, wrote in an email.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cFor beetroot, seems like most benefits are found as a precovery for athletes doing high-intensity and repeat sessions. From my perspective, there is not enough evidence to make any blanket recommendations, although it could certainly make sense for a high-performing athlete,\u201d she wrote, referring to \u201cprecovery\u201d as the period before exercise.\n <\/p>\n

\n Other types of juices may have benefits as well, Gravani said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThings like tart cherry juice<\/a> or blueberry you\u2019re seeing incorporated into more postworkouts for antioxidant benefits,\u201d she said.\n <\/p>\n

\n For instance, an anti-inflammatory smoothie<\/a> might include tart cherry juice, pineapple, spinach and Greek yogurt.\n <\/p>\n

\n The quality of food is equally important, especially for athletes who compete at high altitudes and in cold temperatures, Benardot said. He has worked with Team USA figure skaters, including some who are competing at this year\u2019s Olympic Games.\n <\/p>\n

\n Because air is thinner at higher altitudes, athletes \u201cmust develop an enhanced ability to capture oxygen in a lower-oxygen environment,\u201d Benardot said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cTo do this, it is important for athletes to consume enough nutrients that enable enhanced red blood cell formation,\u201d he said. \u201cYou need a little bit more iron, you need a little bit more [vitamin] B12, and you need a little bit more folic acid.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid are important ingredients in production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cHaving slightly more of the right nutrients makes it possible for athletes to increase red blood cells so that they can capture more of the oxygen at high altitudes,\u201d Benardot said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Without these nutrients, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin, contributing to inadequate blood oxygen levels. This can hinder an athlete\u2019s ability to burn fat for energy, resulting in premature fatigue.\n <\/p>\n

\"Team<\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhen people think about iron intake, they typically only think about meat, but if you change the absorbability of the iron in vegetables, you\u2019re good,\u201d Benardot said. This might be done by pairing lemon juice with an iron-rich vegetable such as spinach.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe iron in vegetables is not highly absorbable, but if you add vitamin C<\/a> \u2014 and lemon juice is high in vitamin C \u2014 vitamin C is a reducing agent,\u201d he said. \u201cIt reduces the iron that it comes in contact with to a much more absorbable and metabolically useful form of iron.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n In general, pairing foods high in iron with vitamin C-rich foods can help with absorption, Gravani said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cAnything with vitamin C works,\u201d she said. \u201cIt could be citrus-based, such as a lemon vinaigrette, but it could also be berries, broccoli or bell pepper, which are all also rich in vitamin C.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n When considering what to eat, Benardot and Gravani advise against having the same thing every day.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cThe first thing that I recommend for people is to vary your diet,\u201d Benardot said. \u201cAs there is no perfect food, try to have as many different foods as possible. So if you had it yesterday, have something different today. If you had a green-colored fruit yesterday, have an orange-colored fruit today. They provide different phytonutrients.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n And Gravani said she \u201calways\u201d emphasizes variety.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI think people as a whole, even at the elite athlete level, get in a rhythm with their favorite or most convenient go-to foods. For instance, you may always eat veggies, but is it typically spinach?\u201d Gravani said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cBeing able to get a variety of colors and foods throughout the day provides different vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that can help with the recovery process and simultaneously support gut health, too,\u201d she said. \u201cOne of the things I tell our Olympians is that even when focused at the highest level, food can still be fun.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Arquette, an endurance athlete who has run the Boston Marathon eight times, says that eating a variety of healthy foods that offer \u201cfunctional\u201d benefits remains important.\n <\/p>\n

\n These types of foods fall within the groups of \u201cbone builders, blood builders, coenzymes and antioxidants,\u201d she wrote. \u201cI am a big yogurt fan, lean meats, citrus\/berries, colorful veggies and starches like rice.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Benardot added that different sources of protein, at different times and not all at once, are another example of the importance of variability.\n <\/p>\n

\n For instance, consuming protein about every three to four hours, in doses of 20 to 40 grams each, has shown the most benefit for improving muscle growth and strength, according to the National Academy of Sports Medicine<\/a>.\n <\/p>\n

\n But it\u2019s important not to go overboard<\/a> with too much at once. \u201cOverdoing\u201d the protein dose can raise the risk of dehydration, Benardot said.\n <\/p>\n

\n Benardot and Gravani have encouraged Olympic athletes they work with to eat frequent small meals throughout the day instead of three large meals.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cI definitely prescribe the small, frequent meals. Having three meals and two to three snacks, depending on the person and their needs, is usually better,\u201d Gravani said.\n <\/p>\n

\"Roasted<\/p>\n

\n \u201cIt prevents you from getting really hungry or really full in between. And I think that a lot of people do have that challenge,\u201d Gravani added. \u201cTo me, it\u2019s about getting that consistency and kind of having a little more stability with blood sugar throughout, rather than leaving those big gaps.\u201d\n <\/p>\n

\n Frequent small meals can help reduce the blood sugar crashes that may happen after eating three large meals. Low blood sugar<\/a> typically occurs about two to four hours after a meal.\n <\/p>\n

Nutrition tips to help you eat like an olympian<\/p>\n

Fuel with a quick snack before morning workouts.
\n Recover with protein and carbohydrates after workouts.
\n Pair iron-rich foods with foods high in vitamin C.
\n Eat more anti-inflammatory foods to help with muscle pain.<\/p>\n

\n When Benardot recommends that athletes increase their eating frequency throughout the day, they sometimes worry that it could change their body composition or cause them to gain unhealthy weight, he said.\n <\/p>\n

\n \u201cWhat I tell people is, whatever you have for breakfast, don\u2019t eat it all at once. Take a little bit, have the rest mid-morning. Whatever you have for lunch, don\u2019t eat it all. Take a little bit, have it midafternoon. Whatever you have for dinner, don\u2019t eat it all. Have a little bit and the rest later in the evening. Then have a little snack before you go to bed, so that you can sustain blood sugar while you\u2019re sleeping,\u201d Benardot said. \u201cThis way they are eating what they ate before, but they are distributing it in a way that is more likely to sustain energy balance and improve nutrient utilization.\u201d\n <\/p>\n