There’s a reason you should take tips from a pro athlete’s diet and not follow it down to the last grain of rice—they’re pro athletes, and we’re assuming you’re not.
Still, we’re not saying you can’t follow it exactly, which might now sound contradictory to what we’ve just said. You can follow their diet, but you have to tailor it to you—your weight, height, fitness levels, workout regime, schedule, etc. Depending on which athlete you take inspiration from, you will no doubt begin to follow a clean, strict diet that has massive benefits for your body and mind.
To make sure you do it correctly, read on for some tips for taking inspiration from pro-athlete diets.
1. Tailor Your Diet to Your Needs
Athletes’ eating habits are not erratic. They create a diet that complements their energy expenditure and recovery needs. You should do the same.
Pay attention to how many calories your body needs given your age, weight, and physical activity. For example, there are rugby players like Jack Nowell who consume 5,000 calories in a day because of the amount of training they do. Without that activity level, you naturally gain weight thanks to over-calorie consumption. So, sorry, yes, we’d all like to eat 5,000 calories daily, but you’re likely to gain weight.
The timing of your meals is also important. Snowboarder Billy Morgan enjoys toasting bread and fruit with scrambled eggs to fuel his morning and snacking throughout the day to maintain energy levels for sports events. If you train in the evening, structure your meals so you don’t feel too hungry or too full.
Our advice is you can take inspiration from the type of food they’re eating, but everything else is tailored to you.
2. Consider Your Training Style
Always consider your training style.
Climbers, like Shauna Coxsey, focus on the strength-to-weight ratio. Their diet consists of protein to help muscle repair and slow-release carbs for energy. Rugby players must pack in explosive power, so they depend on carbohydrate-rich foods like rice and potatoes to support high activity levels. Not every athlete is on the carb hype as much.
Pause and think through the energy you use during your workouts. Do you even work out, or are you simply interested in eating a clean diet?
Throughout the day, spread your carbohydrate intake to maintain stamina for longer endurance sports. They play an essential role in muscle recovery. Protein from fish, meat, and even plants all get the job done. If any protein is Welch, it is even better, a staple for athletes globally.
Short bursts of high-intensity training use glycogen rapidly. Replenishing carbs like oats, quinoa, or whole grains will improve energy levels.
3. Learn from What Pro Athletes Eat
Professional athletes are known for having balanced meals coordinated alongside their workouts. They’re never the ones in control of what they’re eating.
To gain energy, Maddie Hinch, the hockey goalkeeper, eats granola and fruit in the morning, Thai green curry for dinner, and protein-rich salmon and egg for lunch. Rice cakes, with a substitute of peanut butter, and a side of bananas make for the perfect balance in snacks. The mixture makes for a multitasker, a person who cares about fuelling and also recovering from training.
The personalised approach of Billy Morgan has him eating eggs, nuts, pineapples, and bananas for breakfast, while for lunch he mixes tuna with a salad and wraps it up.
Pick your athlete and Google what they eat, you’ll find it!
4. Focus on Recovery as Much as Performance
Recovery is essential.
Consuming protein shakes soaked in quickly released carbs is perfect because they restore glycogen and put the muscles to rest. Ask any athlete and they’ll eat protein within 30 minutes of training.
Ensure if you work around the clock, you’re at least including snacks after exercise, especially Greek yoghurt, protein shakes, or chicken. It is best done no later than 30 minutes after finishing training. At that time, your muscles are more receptive to nutrients than at any other time.
Pro athletes have their own unique meals. You can take inspiration, but you have to think about yourself! And yes, a little bit of cake here and there never hurt anyone!
