Food and diets of elite and casual skaters?

[billo999x]

What's up all. I am interested and just curious as to what skaters eat. I read about Adam Rippon who mentioned not eating a lot and when he hurt his foot he thought it could be related to not getting enough nutrients. I think in any sport you really have to nourish your body even if you shouldn't gain a lot of excess weight.

Random thoughts: What would an olympic skater eat the night before a big day? I guess it would vary, but I wonder what percentages of say carbohydrates, protein and fibre they would have.

 

[macy]

What's up all. I am interested and just curious as to what skaters eat. I read about Adam Rippon who mentioned not eating a lot and when he hurt his foot he thought it could be related to not getting enough nutrients. I think in any sport you really have to nourish your body even if you shouldn't gain a lot of excess weight.

Random thoughts: What would an olympic skater eat the night before a big day? I guess it would vary, but I wonder what percentages of say carbohydrates, protein and fibre they would have.

any elite athlete *should* be eating a diet high in nutrients, protein, good carbs, and fiber, although some do not because of body image issues, coaches/parents/peers telling them not to to keep a slim figure, etc. When you are working your body as hard as competitive figure skaters do and burning so many calories through training it's really important to eat a healthy diet and to eat enough to replenish lost energy. from what i've read, a lot of elite skaters eat whole grain breads/pastas, lean protein like chicken and fish, veggies, fruit, and dairy like greek yogurt.

I would say a good meal of protein/grains/veggies is pretty standard the night before a competition for a lot of skaters.

 

[halulupu]

What's up all. I am interested and just curious as to what skaters eat. I read about Adam Rippon who mentioned not eating a lot and when he hurt his foot he thought it could be related to not getting enough nutrients. I think in any sport you really have to nourish your body even if you shouldn't gain a lot of excess weight.

Random thoughts: What would an olympic skater eat the night before a big day? I guess it would vary, but I wonder what percentages of say carbohydrates, protein and fibre they would have.

Based on several answers in interviews especially of russian elite skaters: if lucky they got a protein shake

 

[mishulyia]

Here’s a useful PDF I found once.. specifically for younger athletes. It has breakdowns of percentages and even suggested vitamin supplements..

http://www.nantucketskatingclub.com...ilderfiles/howtosupportyourfigureskater-1.pdf

 

[concorde]

Chocolate milk for recovery.
Apparently it has the perfect mix of protein and carbohydrates.

 

[nips]

Have a look into Alina´s fridge
https://youtu.be/99-41iFypPk?t=42

 

[mrrice]

This is a really difficult subject for me. Personally, I don't think there's a diet that's right for everyone. As a Male Ballet Dancer, I often compared myself to a Pair Skater. I was often STARVING at the end of a long rehearsal. Granted, most of my partners were tiny but, 8 hours later......I don't think I would have had the energy to lift my partner if I had to survive on protein shakes and veggies. I think diet is an individual thing and these skaters should consult a doctor/dietician to help them.

 

[Reth]

There was an article about what Yuzuru daily meals was .. or was it a tv program a couple months ago. He eat three meals a day and consist of rice, meat, veggies and soup.
He also say he indulges in McDonald’s, chips and soda..
I think he said he always eat rice before competition, make him feel full.

Here are the meals he ate during PC Olympics.
https://twitter.com/echotpe/status/998025096622034944?s=21

 

[minze]

Have a look into Alina´s fridge
https://youtu.be/99-41iFypPk?t=42

Cuteness

 

[DaNiCG]

There was an article about what Yuzuru daily meals was .. or was it a tv program a couple months ago. He eat three meals a day and consist of rice, meat, veggies and soup.
He also say he indulges in McDonald’s, chips and soda..
I think he said he always eat rice before competition, make him feel full.

Here are the meals he ate during PC Olympics.
https://twitter.com/echotpe/status/998025096622034944?s=21

I read something like this too, don't know if it was him the one that mentions he sometimes eat 3000 calories per day (not all the time). But 2300-2500 seems legit

//

Skaters burn it all thought, because of this they are at risk of being underweight, especially if they don't eat enough.

 

[concorde]

I read something like this too, don't know if it was him the one that mentions he sometimes eat 3000 calories per day (not all the time). But 2300-2500 seems legit

//

Skaters burn it all thought, because of this they are at risk of being underweight, especially if they don't eat enough.

Interesting since Michael Phelps would eat something like 10,000 calories per day. Mmichael is physically a big guy but I would assume their caloric intake would be closer.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

It depends on the skater and their training program (this is elite).

Many of my friends and colleagues are either Vegan or vegetarian or some sort of variation of such.

There are some of us that just eat lean meats, tofu, veggies, good carbs, other proteins and then will have a cheat day that is allowed in the weekly menu. It really varies with the skater.

You would be shocked at how many calories one in top training mode burns daily. Even those not in such mode will still burn considerable calories.

 

[skylark]

Here's a link to an article from last January detailing what Ashley Wagner eats in a day. (she mentions she has a cheat day and mentions her favorite treats.) I believe it may have been a series with other figure skaters being featured in an article, too, but I don't recall who else.

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a19994967/ashley-wagner-olympics-diet/

 

[hanyuufan5]

Shoma Uno: "Meat, meat, meat... potato chips... chicken nuggets." (Source: https://twitter.com/yawning_shoma/status/936743322869293058)

He hates vegetables and eats them to punish himself for not doing well. I suppose all that meat explains why he's so much more muscular than the average skater.

I guess most skaters eat healthily (or at least claim to publicly), but there are exceptions to every rule. For casual skaters... yeah, my diet is nowhere near as bad as the average person's, but I'm more of a Shoma than a Yuzuru diet-wise. However, I'm more of a Yuzuru than a Shoma physique-wise, which makes me complacent about the garbage I eat. I want to eat healthier, but I'm scared of losing weight, especially now that I've started skating more.

So yeah, some skaters have much more of a problem with making sure they don't lose weight than making sure they don't gain weight.

 

[Tutto]

I am interested if skaters are allowed to take herbal preparations anyone knows, some herbs like ginseng are considered increase energy levels, immune system function etc

 

[DSQ]

I am interested if skaters are allowed to take herbal preparations anyone knows, some herbs like ginseng are considered increase energy levels, immune system function etc

Probably but they have to be careful of any supplements because for the elite level it’s surprising what will catch you out with WADA.

 

[ladyjane]

With regard to supplements: I know that our National Authority on Doping has a list of so-called 'clean supplements' elite athletes (whatever sport) can use. If they buy and use these, they should not encounter any problems. They're mostly supplements of minerals and/or vitamins. I understand that the variants often sold at fitness centres are dangerous with regard to doping issues, but I expect most elite athletes will get recommended the safe ones (presuming such lists also exist in other countries) and don't buy any supplements which could lead to problems. It's a bit more difficult with herbal preparations, as there are preparations that contain substances that are considered to be doping. Furthermore, there's also a risk with regard to food safety as - in our country at least - the Food and Drink Supervisory Body has ordered quite a few recalls, as well as putting forward public warnings because of heavy contamination with heavy metals, aflatoxins and so forth. Don't get me wrong, there are of course many preparations that can safely be taken and are not considered problematic with regard to doping at all. But one should always take care, and elite athletes in particular. Just as long as no one thinks that because herbal preparations are 'natural' the use of them would never cause any problems.

 

[RobinA]

I believe that unhealthy eating with the goal of keeping weight down is pretty rampant in skating. Not saying it's everybody, but it is many skaters. You have a sport that rewards moves that require strength and low body fat. People are going to do what it takes. I don't believe skaters who say they eat this hugely healthy and plentiful diet, because I think that in most cases a normal diet is not in line with the body that will create success in the sport.

Frankly, I think this is something that will become more of an issue as the demand for more and more rotations keeps ramping up and the minimum requirements to be successful get further and further from what a normal, healthy human body can accomplish.

 

[P44]

I remember seeing a video where Bruno Massot said he did not have a particular diet. He is just a little careful, especially not to eat between meals.
I guess it can vary depending on the people.

 

[GrandmaCC]

This is a hard one! Every athlete *should* have a typical diet (one drummed into them from childhood onwards) which is sport specific and specific to phases of training and competition. They will also have at the very least a coach yammering on about their body type and their muscle mass percentage/body fat levels, etc.
But each athlete is a real person and also individual, so it’s important to note any health issues such as IBS, an allergy, intolerance etc, as they all can impact upon what one chooses to eat, or not.

Sometimes the foods that work best for your sport in theory can wreak havoc on your body.
I know I was much healthier on a diet that supposedly didn’t have enough carbs for my sport than I was when I was made to live on “enough” carbs and calories - sure, I looked “healthier”, but was in horrific pain and ironically not absorbing as many calories and nutrients as when I looked “too thin”.

Then we get to comp time, and again it’s all depending on the athlete and their team, what to eat and when...timing is crucial here.
I know many coaches will have a strange mix of “here is the set diet” mindset going on whilst also allowing at least their adult athletes to eat whatever they want - provided they’re producing results.
It may well be quite begrudgingly though and not permitted in front of others!

If the sport is trying to scream to the general public WE EAT WHOLESOME HEALTHY FOODS AND LOVE OUR BODIES!!!!! then coaches can go to quite a length to keep up the image of their athletes consuming a tonne of food in the public eye, whilst either privately allowing and monitoring or turning a blind eye to the athlete doing whatever it is they need to get max glucose etc in with as little bulk as possible.
Conversely, they may embrace things like the hydration gels and electrolyte drinks, especially if they’re provided for free!