This according to a newspaper report is the "diet" of Oylmpic swimmer Phelps.

So for those in the know, what if anything can we in Thailand learn from this eating regime?

as I don't intend to equal his performances, I believe that such a diet for me would be devastating

This according to a newspaper report is the "diet" of Oylmpic swimmer Phelps.

One report on Phelps says that he trains at least 4 hours every day, 6 days a week in the pool. I would guess he probably burns that much by looking at how lean he is.

One chart shows a 700 calorie/hour burn for a 155 pound person when "Swimming laps, freestyle, fast, vigorous effort". At world class level, that might easily double?

According to his father, he was a kid who was never able to stand still. So he probably has a very fast burn metabolic rate.

So for those in the know, what if anything can we in Thailand learn from this eating regime?

That if you burn as many calories as you consume, you are not likely to gain weight.

All those carbohydrates (pasta) and "instant" fuel.

Back in the late 80's I did some serious (for me) cross country cycling. I went on one road trip of 2,200 miles .. averaging about 70 mi/day (riding days). I couldn't eat enough! I gradually lost weight on the trip.

But when I got home and kicked back a few weeks .. balloon!

What surprises me is that it is just 3 (HUGE) meals. Pretty much every other top athlete I know of spread it out over 6-7 meals. Some even get up in the middle of the night and flush down a protein shake to ensure they stay anabolic (muscle building, as opposed to catabolic) during the long fast of sleep.

So it also surprises me that he does not utilize protein supplements/shakes to obtain the nutrition needed. He might do that on top though!

What we can learn; well exercise enough and you can get away with eating more..... surprise!

Cheers!

So it also surprises me that he does not utilize protein supplements/shakes to obtain the nutrition needed. He might do that on top though!

I would guess that those 1,000 calorie "energy drinks" that he has twice a day contain protein and vitamin/mineral suppliments.

I'll bet by the time the Olympics is over he'll claim that a bowl of Wheaties is included in his daily diet.

So for those in the know, what if anything can we in Thailand learn from this eating regime?

Nothing can be learned.

He's a world-class athlete who trains vigorously and faces intense competition.

Many bodybuilders, eat only 4,500 calories per day. Of course they train for a fraction of the period of time Phelps does.

Further, before competition they need to lose as much body fat as possible to get better muscle definition. That implies the regular, nontraining diet of a bodybuilder is one on which they gain weight. So maybe 4500 is the weight loss for a bodybuilder. I'd still expect them to need fewer calories than a swimmer, as swimming just plain burns more calories than weightlifting.