Michael Phelps Eats How Many Calories?
Most people are amazed when they hear how much food Michael Phelps can eat in one day. Various sources have said that Phelps eats between 6,000 and 12,000 calories each day. 1 2 That’s a lot of food! Right now you might be asking: How can Michael Phelps do that? Here are some insights into Phelps’ high calorie diet.
Muscle needs calories
If you look at Michael Phelps, he is all muscle. He probably burns 2 or 3 times as many calories as the average person, simply because his muscles require the energy. As a former hardcore athlete, I used to race mountain bikes. Back then I could easily eat 5,000 calories a day and maintain a slender and fit physique.
Intense training
Michael Phelps has won six gold medals so far at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games. The guy obviously has a very intense training program. Swimming is hard work. His metabolism is high. This is coming from the perspective of a distance runner and cross country mountain bike racer. If we all trained for the same duration and intensity that Phelps does, we could probably eat more calories too.
Note - I am not suggesting that you up your exercise routine just to consume more calories. Use moderation in everything and listen to your body.
The Bottom Line
Michael Phelps is like a race car. Race cars need to have fuel in the tank to finish the race. Therefore, Phelps eats so much because he must finish the race to the best of his ability. Everything with Phelps’ diet is relative to his lifestyle. I hope this clears up some confusion as to why Phelps can eat so many calories and look the way he does. Please comment with your thoughts and opinions.
Written by: Josh Onarheim
Sources:
- The Olympic Diet of Michael Phelps. MedicineNet.com. http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=91837
- Phelps Phenomenon goes global. MSNBC. http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/26218418/
