Dietary Habits of Olympic Athletes

Abstract

Olympic athletes represent a group of very dedicated and hard-working individuals who are training at the limit of their physical capacity, which sets them apart from their less successful counterparts. One of the first studies to appear on the diets of Olympic athletes was conducted in association with the 1948 London Olympic Games. Berry collected 4-d food intakes of 28 Olympic athletes representing different countries and a variety of sports. While recent scientific data on the nutritional habits of athletes participating in Olympic Games are limited, studies on elite athletes from several countries have been reported. The Olympic athlete’s nutritional program is comprised of four phases: training, precompetition, during competition, and postcompetition. It is well established that dietary carbohydrate contributes directly to maintenance of muscle glycogen stores and may delay fatigue during endurance exercise. Research suggests that athletes have increased protein requirements compared to the general population.