How Many Calories Should An Athlete Eat?

by | Last updated on January 24, 2024

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Most people need between 1,500 and 2,000 a day. For athletes, this number can

increase by 500 to 1,000 more calories

. Talk to your doctor about your or your child's nutrition needs. They can help you determine a healthy daily calorie count.

How many calories should an athlete eat a day to lose weight?

To decrease body fat, athletes should eat about

300–500 fewer calories per day

but avoid eating fewer than 13.5 calories per pound (30 kilocalories per kg) of fat-free mass per day (2, 3 ).

How many calories do Olympic athletes eat?

Olympic athletes usually eat between

3,000-4,000 calories a day

. Most of their diets are rich in carbs and protein.

Do and don'ts for athletes?

  • Don't just train. …
  • Do talk to yourself. …
  • Don't let negativity hold you back. …
  • Do share your goals. …
  • Don't be afraid of failure. …
  • Do learn something from every training session or competition. …
  • Don't make it personal. …
  • Get to know your competitors.

How can I go from athletic to skinny?

  1. Diet. Consume fewer calories and eat a lower percentage of foods that are high in proteins and carbohydrates.
  2. Weight training. If you're continuing to train with weights, use lighter weights and reduce weight training frequency to no more than 2 times per week to maintain tone.
  3. Cardio.

What is Usain Bolt diet?

Bolt starts the day with a simple egg sandwich, spends 20 minutes in the weight room, then has a light lunch of pasta with corned beef, or, if he needs to go light on meat,

fish

. Then his training starts for real. “During the day I only eat just enough to have energy for training and to make sure I digest fast enough.

What is a good diet for an athlete?

Choose energy-packed foods such as

whole grain crackers

with low-fat cheese, tortilla wraps with veggies and lean meat, hard-boiled eggs, vegetable or bean soups, small boxes of non-sugary cereal, fresh fruit, mini-whole wheat bagels with peanut butter, pita bread with hummus or pasta with grilled chicken.

Which athlete eats the most calories?


MICHAEL PHELPS

The swimming superstar pounds a whopping 12,000 calories per day, most notably while training for the 2008 Olympics. His diet consists of a pound of pasta, an entire pizza, three fried egg sandwiches, grits, and French toast, to name a few.

Do athletes track calories?

Olympic athletes like Naomi Osaka and Anthony Joshua

don't count calories

— they rely on intuitive eating to fuel their workouts. Insider interviewed five Olympians for The Gold Plan, and they all said they don't count calories or macros.

How do athletes gain fat?

  1. Aim to include an extra 400-500 calories/day in addition to your estimated caloric requirements. …
  2. Eat regular snacks and meals. …
  3. Increase portion sizes at mealtimes, particularly of energy-dense foods.
  4. Drink juice, milk, chocolate milk or sports drinks instead of water.

How do athletes maintain weight?

Avoiding severe energy restriction.

Monitoring protein intake, timing, and quality

. Adopting a low-energy dense (ED) diet. Timing of food intake around exercise and spreading meals/snacks throughout the day.

Are my legs fat or muscular?

If you're not exercising and find yourself sitting most of the day, then it's safe to say your

legs are made mostly of fat

. If you've been working out on your legs, you can find your general body fat a few weeks into your routine to see if muscle and progress are being made.

Does cardio burn muscle?

The answer to “does cardio burn muscle” is clear:

no

. It is incorrect to say that all aerobic exercise reduces muscle mass due to both hypertrophic responses and repeated findings of increased MPS—”all” being the key word.

How do you get skinny muscular legs?

Increase resistance

training

Participating in total-body, muscle-strengthening activities at least two days a week may help you burn calories, reduce fat mass , and strengthen your thighs. Include lower-body exercises such as lunges, wall sits, inner/outer thigh lifts, and step-ups with just your body weight.

How do Olympic athletes eat?

Vavrek also notes that Olympians eat frequently. “Athletes at this level need to be fueling their bodies throughout the entire day and will likely consume

many meals and snacks

,” she says. “[These foods] will contain a combination of carbohydrate and protein foods for muscle recovery and injury prevention.”

Do athletes eat junk food?

Not so for Olympic-level endurance athletes like distance runners, cyclists, triathletes, and swimmers, who burn through calories so fast they

have to consume piles of junk food

to ensure they have enough fuel in the tank.

Sophia Kim
Author
Sophia Kim
Sophia Kim is a food writer with a passion for cooking and entertaining. She has worked in various restaurants and catering companies, and has written for several food publications. Sophia's expertise in cooking and entertaining will help you create memorable meals and events.