What is the diet for training an athlete for the Olympics?

Runners, jumpers, swimmers, judokas, cyclists, dancers… The Paris 2024 Olympic Games will bring together 15,000 athletes and will serve more than 13 million meals in the Olympic Village and in the stadiums. Athletes preparing for the Olympic Games have specific nutritional needs to support their intense training and increase their performance. Proper nutrition can help improve recovery, promote muscle growth, build endurance and prevent injuries. But what are we talking about when we talk about diet, and what are the specific needs of athletes?

Nutrition for Olympic Athletes: Why is it Important?

Depending on their discipline, an Olympic athlete will not eat the same foods because their calorie needs are different. For example, a long-distance runner will not eat the same thing as a judoka. However, all athletes will adapt their diet by favoring a healthy and balanced diet in order to reach the Games as efficiently as possible. Therefore, the meals he eats must allow the athlete to store vitamins and sugars MetalsMetalsProteins, fats, or even carbohydrates necessary for exercise physicalphysical Which he will produce in competition.

Olympic Games: What are the essential nutrients for committed athletes?

The three macronutrients that provide… CaloriesCalories Necessary for athletes are proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

• Protein plays an essential role in muscle repair and development. Many Olympic athletes follow a protein-free diet by eating chicken, eggs, fish, or dairy products. This allows them to maintain their presence MassMass Muscle and promote recovery.
• Carbohydrates are the main source ofenergyenergy For muscles and brainbrain. Olympic athletes focus on complex carbohydrates e.g CerealsCereals (wheatwheatrice, butbut, QuinoaQuinoa…) dry vegetables (lentillentilbeans, hummushummus…) or even TubersTubers (potatopotato, potatopotato, yam, cassava…). Complex carbohydrates are digestible for a longer period because they consist of fibre, which provides athletes with lasting energy and helps replenish energy reserves. GlycogenGlycogen After intense effort. Simple carbohydrates such as vegetables are also part of the athletes' menu.
• Fat is also important for athletes and their bodies. Even if Olympic athletes consume them sparingly before competitions to avoid digestive problems in particular, athletes will prefer unsaturated or healthy fats. Fatty acidsFatty acidsImportant for cardiovascular health. It is found in many foods such as LawyersLawyersthe hazelnuthazelnutOr seeds or even vegetable oils such as olive oil.

The food strategy is implemented long before the competition begins. Every athlete prepares themselves physically and nutritionally to be at their best on the big day and will therefore adapt their diet to the type of training they are doing at a given time in order to achieve maximum performance. For example, during a muscle strength training phase, an athlete will not follow the same diet as he or she followed during an endurance training phase. Their macronutrient and caloric needs will be different and therefore will be adapted. Before a major competition such as the Olympic Games, athletes outside a weight class often carbohydrate-load so that their energy reserves are at maximum. This makes it possible to make less use of fat reserves which is less interesting in terms of performance on competition day.

Why do Olympic athletes need to be well hydrated?

Olympic athletes should pay special attention to their hydration so they can maintain their performance and prevention dryingdryingIt is synonymous with loss of concentration, decreased reflexes, and risk of injury or abandonment. Therefore, athletes carefully monitor their consumption liquidliquidKnowing that even slight dehydration of 1% of body mass can have consequences on their physical and mental abilities. Water remains the main sports drink, but it is not the only drink. Sports drinks for sports and other solutionsMoisturizingMoisturizingIt can be used to regenerate electrolytes (minerals, sodiumsodium, PotassiumPotassium, magnesiummagnesium, CalciumCalcium…) lost during intense voltage. Therefore, athletes must ensure that they properly restore water and salts lost through sweating during exercise.

Olympic athletes adapt the timing and composition of their meals with the goal of improving their performance. They eat balanced meals rich in vitamins NutrientsNutrients At regular intervals to maintain a constant amount of energy throughout the day. Athletes also adjust their meals based on their training schedule and competition time.

Athlete nutrition represents much more than a simple nutritional need. It takes full place in the physical preparation of Olympic athletes, helping them improve their performance and reach the best possible condition on competition day.