Wednesday, August 27, 2008

A whole hell of a lot.

Although there is some dispute as to the ins, the outs, the what have yous, apparently Michael Phelps, in full training mode, eats about 12,000 calories a day.

Twelve. Thousand. Calories. A day.

What does 12,000 calories look like? Here's how it breaks down:
  • for breakfast, a large bowl of porridge;
  • three doorstep-sized sandwiches of white bread, butter, fried egg, fried onion, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise;
  • a five-egg omelette tastefully garnished with parsley;
  • three slices of French toast liberally sprinkled with sugar;
  • three pancakes topped with chocolate chips;
  • two large cups of coffee;
  • for lunch, 1lb (that's a very large bowl) of pasta with tomato sauce;
  • two large ham-and-cheese sandwiches with more lettuce, tomato and don't forget the mayo;
  • four bottles of a proprietary high-energy sports drink;
  • for dinner, another pound of pasta;
  • a large cheese-and-tomato pizza;
  • another four bottles of the same proprietary high-energy sports drink.
Here's an article in The Guardian that explains all of this in more detail, as well as how nauseous the reporter became when he attempted to eat all of this in a feat of gonzo journalism.

(got this link via dooce.)

2 comments:

  1. What's he going to do when he stops swimming 15 hours a day and still has that appetite? Huh? What will happen then Mr.?
    I'm so glad that when I read the list, I wasn't all, "oh, that's what I had yesterday." But then, I'm more of a protein girl. I wonder what 12,000 calories of protein looks like? Perhaps I do not want to know.

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  2. Not that I have ever eaten that much nor wish to compare my person to Phelps, but I have to say that the ability to eat more when my uninjured body was training 15 hrs a week was sublime. Food tasted oh so good and my gut could handle oh so much more of the goodness. I assume this pleasure would be multiplied by a 100 for Phelps.

    To literally watch/feel/experience one's body empty of all calories and energy and then to fill it up, as if at the gas station, with a some Hammer Gel and sports drink and THEN still top it all off with a ton of pasta and a steak when you return home is simply divine. I'm unsure if I miss the eating or activity more...

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