Phelps - 12,000 Calories a day

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buster

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http://www.nypost.com/seven/08132008/news/nationalnews/phelps_pig_secret__hes_boy_gorge_124248.htm

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Swimming sensation Michael Phelps has an Olympic recipe for success - and it involves eating a staggering 12,000 calories a day.

"Eat, sleep and swim. That's all I can do," Phelps, who won two more gold medals today, told NBC when asked what he needs to win medals. "Get some calories into my system and try to recover the best I can."



I watched a show on obesity a few months ago and they had a guy that weighed 700 lbs and couldn't get out of bed. He ate over 15,000 calories a day. How is Phelps taking in 12,000 a day? That is insane. It's obviously been working for him.
 
Because he's burning 12,000 calories a day! Swimming burns like 4 times more energy than running - yesterday he swam 5 miles between the warm ups, races, and cool downs. So he's burning as many calories as someone running roughly 15 to 20 miles a day.

If I ate 12,000 calories a day, I'd have to wear a diaper...
 
Yes, his caloric expenditure is near equal or exceeding his intake....all of those muscles and aerobic movement requires a tremendous amount of energy. I still don't know how he can recover with 20-50 minutes between major Finals and still break World Records, the guy is a machine. Just like Lance Armstrong, "normal" humans really don't have the capacity to perform like that...but when it all comes together, WATCH OUT!!

His meals are not too far off of what many collegiate athletes are packing in. When I ran for a major NAIA school as a distance runner, we used to eat just about darn near what the article lists, and put in 80 to 110 miles per week of running plus crosstraining, weights, and pool work. Extremely brutal. When I had to stop running due to an injury, I picked up like 30lbs QUICK, it is very hard to stop eating like that when your body expects that kind of caloric intake and expenditure.

-JW
Minor'd in Exercise Science and Kinesiology
 
I once read where the decathletes were consuming 20,000 calories a day the year Daley Thompson competed.
 
I remember watching a show on MTV a few years ago with my wife. It was about several different athletes that were TRYING to put weight on. It amazed me how much food these guys were putting away, and still not gaining weight. I look at a brownie, and my love handles expand.

12K calories a day is more than I can imagine. You've got to be hating food at that point.
 
Yeah he obviously is using as much or more energy than he is taking in. It's amazing though that he could burn thru 12,000 calories a day but considering what he does, I guess it's not that hard to imagine.
 
The pro cyclists who ride multi-day stage races make all of the above seem anorexic!!

I forgot the exact numbers, but Tour (de France) riders consume inconceivable amounts of (good) food!
They MUST, or they would just keel over on their bikes (from hypoglycemia/ketosis) after a few days of 120 mile + stages ridden at 27+ mph!!!
crazy2.gif
 
It does make you wonder with the obesity epidemic going on in this country and we have the best athletes in the world. makes you wonder what's going on.
 
Swimming takes an incredible amount of energy. I used to swim competitively for MANY years.

Unlike walking, each movement of the foot does not directly correlate to an advancement forward of that distance. And it's FULL BODY.

Strokes like "fly" are absolutely unreal in how much they tax you.

We used to swim 1,500m as a WARM UP before practise even began.

If the people with weight problems ran a typical swimming session on even a twice-a-week basis, they likely wouldn't have a weight problem.
 
As a competitive rower during and after college, we ate a LOT. Its another full body exercise that heavily utilizes explosive actions of arms and legs, as well as a lot of motion through the back. In spring training and during times with double and triple sessions, we ate multiple meals and took in ridiculous amounts of food.

Phelps, and many others like him do training all the time... hours per day, all year round, not just during the spring and fall racing seasons. Its crazy, but you need to eat at that level, otherwise it is worse for your body in terms of recovery, maintenance of blood sugar, etc.

I agree with OVERK1LL.

JMH
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: OVERK1LL
If the people with weight problems ran a typical swimming session on even a twice-a-week basis, they likely wouldn't have a weight problem.


That's absolutely true for those who are overweight due to lack of exercise and improper food intake. During the winter I gain usually 8 to 10 pounds because I ride my bike much less and because I swim very little (Even here in CA the water gets too cold for my taste). I also am addicted to gingerbread and between November and February I eat too much sweet stuff. In the spring I lose those extra pounds very rapidly once I start swimming, although my food intake increases at the same time.
 
Originally Posted By: Cutehumor
It does make you wonder with the obesity epidemic going on in this country and we have the best athletes in the world. makes you wonder what's going on.


Having young children, and listening to mothers, try picturing the following.

TV ad...When (insert name of swimmer) starts his day, he goes with 14 wheatbix...show athlete stuffing gob, then swimming.

TV ad for crystalised sugar (with iron and riboflaven)..."It's Ironman Food"...show former ironman legend running along a beach.

Switch to gate before school "growing kids need energy to concentrate" etc.
 
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
The pro cyclists who ride multi-day stage races make all of the above seem anorexic!!

I forgot the exact numbers, but Tour (de France) riders consume inconceivable amounts of (good) food!
They MUST, or they would just keel over on their bikes (from hypoglycemia/ketosis) after a few days of 120 mile + stages ridden at 27+ mph!!!
crazy2.gif



IIRC, it's in the 7-10k range. Swimmers don't consume calories while they swim like cyclists do while they ride. 400 calories an hour on the bike is about all the body can process.
 
Originally Posted By: wantin150
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
The pro cyclists who ride multi-day stage races make all of the above seem anorexic!!

I forgot the exact numbers, but Tour (de France) riders consume inconceivable amounts of (good) food!
They MUST, or they would just keel over on their bikes (from hypoglycemia/ketosis) after a few days of 120 mile + stages ridden at 27+ mph!!!
crazy2.gif



IIRC, it's in the 7-10k range. Swimmers don't consume calories while they swim like cyclists do while they ride. 400 calories an hour on the bike is about all the body can process.


True, but I thought it was that 7-10K range BESIDES what they consume on the fly, NOT including what they get in the musette bags, or from energy drinks.
All I know is if one figures out their total wattage output over time, it takes an unfathomable amount of calories to sustain that day after day.
 
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