What does it take to eat like an Olympian?

"Food is fuel. It sounds like a cliche, but if you are a Winter Olympian, that phrase is more like a mantra. And with every Olympic Games, there is an inevitable slew of articles detailing what athletes are eating, what they're craving and what forbidden foods they plan to reward themselves with after their events are over. But food rules and strict diets aren't actually so important as one, cardinal truth: Olympians simply just need to eat enough."

"How Olympians fuel themselves is based on a combination of nutrition science, personal taste and necessity. Different people can require different combinations of nutrients, and different sports can demand very different caloric intakes. But getting enough calories, period, is crucial to athletic performance. Calories can get a negative connotation, but from a scientific standpoint, that is our energy source, says Lucy Mower, a dietitian who specializes in sports nutrition at the University of Utah."

Winter Games athletes face extreme environmental and physical stresses: cold, rapid weather changes, high altitude, limited sunlight, and often very little time to eat. Fueling combines nutrition science, personal taste and necessity, and caloric needs differ widely across athletes and sports. Adequate calorie intake provides the energy required for training, competition and recovery. Strict food rules matter less than ensuring sufficient energy availability. Many winter athletes do not consume enough calories, increasing the risk of impaired performance. Prioritizing consistent, adequate fueling supports performance, adaptation to environmental demands and overall athlete health.

Read at www.scientificamerican.com