There was no better reward when I was a young cyclist than donuts on Saturday after several hours in the saddle. And when Powerbars came out (dating myself...), they were magical because actual candy bars would melt. My issue, like most I suspect, was subtle as I settled into marriage/kids/actual job and kept eating the donuts.
I rebounded, but the rule now is don't eat the donuts unless you have earned the donuts. It's a great incentive to go for a ruck or ride!
This is great. So important for people to understand that food is neither good nor bad; it's just fuel. And just as too much can be detrimental to our health and performance, so can too little. Also, it reminds me of a quote from Once A Runner:
"...if the furnace was hot enough, anything would burn, even Big Macs."
I've also heard that many elite athletes get prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It makes you wonder how much toll training so hard and eating the way they do actually has on their bodies. You think they are the picture of health but it may not be so simple.
I would love to see a deeper dive on the "undereating" phenomenon. I've worked with two separate nutritionists now and they both say this is the most common issue in dieting. Common dieting wisdom says eat less. The issue is everyone has a basal metabolic rate your body needs just to function prior to any exercise.
My current plan has me on 2500 calories a day, with about a 2500 cal BMR, and then creating caloric deficit through exercise and burning 2800-2900 calories per day total (BMR+exercise).
Fun article! I scarfed down 4-5 Oreos before my 🏋️♀️ yesterday. A good question is when to eat those calories relative to your period of activity. Also, I couldn’t tell how sedentary, moderate, and highly active is defined for calorie requirements.
Love this! I was a big fan of pop tarts and snickers when I was training for triathlons years ago during long cycling rides. I’m still active and will enjoy sharing this post with my indoor cycling class!
Super interesting! Would be interested to know how it impacts their cholesterol. Even if the athletes are lean, wouldn't all the junk be hardening their arteries?
There were reports that Phelps was eating something like 12,000 calories a day—the story went viral and got picked up by a bunch of media outlets.
I actually talked to Phelps and asked him to lay out what he ate in a day. It wasn’t 12,000 cals worth of food. I think some reporters who didn’t have much experience in nutrition had extrapolated and ended up at an incorrect figure.
He was eating more like 7,000 to 8,000 a day, which is more in line with other Olympic swimmers.
Competing at that level is a performance goal, not a health goal. I'd venture to say you cannot compete at that level and be optimally healthy, but us normal people can prioritize health and still perform quite well! Also, to be clear, prioritizing health allows plenty of room for Shortbread Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies and Justin's Peanut Butter Cups. (Says me, who is not paid for her trail running, sadly.)
Interestingly, I think you could argue ultraprocessed food might tip the balance toward “health” (if we’re basing that on specific markers) in serious performance athletes (i.e., people who get paid to exercise and not us). It would help them get enough calories to negate some of the downsides of extreme exercise volumes.
Also: “Shortbread Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies.” WHAT. (Opens Google, five hour investigation ensues).
Great article! I cannot stress the importance of caloric tracking apps like 'Carbon' for those who train hard. It's like having a nutrition coach in your pocket! Even if you're not training hard, it allows you to stay within the number of calories to reach your goals whether it's losing, maintain or gaining weight. You can have that Taco Bell while not busting your goals.
There was no better reward when I was a young cyclist than donuts on Saturday after several hours in the saddle. And when Powerbars came out (dating myself...), they were magical because actual candy bars would melt. My issue, like most I suspect, was subtle as I settled into marriage/kids/actual job and kept eating the donuts.
I rebounded, but the rule now is don't eat the donuts unless you have earned the donuts. It's a great incentive to go for a ruck or ride!
Man, I miss the OG Powerbars. They were simple and perfect.
To your point about donuts after a ruck or ride—that's behavioral science. And it works!
The chocolate one 🤤
Great piece.
I need to find the Olympic dessert testing! My brother, a Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair rugby, raved about the desserts at the Sydney games.
This is great. So important for people to understand that food is neither good nor bad; it's just fuel. And just as too much can be detrimental to our health and performance, so can too little. Also, it reminds me of a quote from Once A Runner:
"...if the furnace was hot enough, anything would burn, even Big Macs."
Great quote. We see that all the time in high school athletes.
Eating whatever will sit on your stomach without causing issues is key.
Absolutely. It takes a bit of experimentation, but it's definitely worth it.
I've also heard that many elite athletes get prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. It makes you wonder how much toll training so hard and eating the way they do actually has on their bodies. You think they are the picture of health but it may not be so simple.
I would love to see a deeper dive on the "undereating" phenomenon. I've worked with two separate nutritionists now and they both say this is the most common issue in dieting. Common dieting wisdom says eat less. The issue is everyone has a basal metabolic rate your body needs just to function prior to any exercise.
My current plan has me on 2500 calories a day, with about a 2500 cal BMR, and then creating caloric deficit through exercise and burning 2800-2900 calories per day total (BMR+exercise).
Fun article! I scarfed down 4-5 Oreos before my 🏋️♀️ yesterday. A good question is when to eat those calories relative to your period of activity. Also, I couldn’t tell how sedentary, moderate, and highly active is defined for calorie requirements.
So the SNL Little Chocolate Donuts sketch was right all along. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxCUHjx7U7Y
Oh, my! The cigarette really sends this clip!
Love this! I was a big fan of pop tarts and snickers when I was training for triathlons years ago during long cycling rides. I’m still active and will enjoy sharing this post with my indoor cycling class!
Super interesting! Would be interested to know how it impacts their cholesterol. Even if the athletes are lean, wouldn't all the junk be hardening their arteries?
Absolutely. I know many elite endurance folks who eat mostly candy… and other “ugly” sources of carbs.
To perform at this level of endurance you need to feed your burn and you need a ton of carbs.
Power athletes need to hit their weight, too. That often comes with volume.
Powerbars were great but who remembers Tiger Milk Bars? Loved those babies.
Here in California nothing beats Del Taco for the drive-thru snack. Fresher ingredients than TB.
But then again there is always In 'n Out
I also seem to remember Michael Phelps eating some insane amounts of food when he was in his prime, like 5000 cal/day or something like that
Del Taco is awesome.
There were reports that Phelps was eating something like 12,000 calories a day—the story went viral and got picked up by a bunch of media outlets.
I actually talked to Phelps and asked him to lay out what he ate in a day. It wasn’t 12,000 cals worth of food. I think some reporters who didn’t have much experience in nutrition had extrapolated and ended up at an incorrect figure.
He was eating more like 7,000 to 8,000 a day, which is more in line with other Olympic swimmers.
Competing at that level is a performance goal, not a health goal. I'd venture to say you cannot compete at that level and be optimally healthy, but us normal people can prioritize health and still perform quite well! Also, to be clear, prioritizing health allows plenty of room for Shortbread Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies and Justin's Peanut Butter Cups. (Says me, who is not paid for her trail running, sadly.)
Absolutely!
Interestingly, I think you could argue ultraprocessed food might tip the balance toward “health” (if we’re basing that on specific markers) in serious performance athletes (i.e., people who get paid to exercise and not us). It would help them get enough calories to negate some of the downsides of extreme exercise volumes.
Also: “Shortbread Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies.” WHAT. (Opens Google, five hour investigation ensues).
Great article! I cannot stress the importance of caloric tracking apps like 'Carbon' for those who train hard. It's like having a nutrition coach in your pocket! Even if you're not training hard, it allows you to stay within the number of calories to reach your goals whether it's losing, maintain or gaining weight. You can have that Taco Bell while not busting your goals.
It's a great app, especially how it adjusts how much you eat based on your feedback.