michael phelps diet

The Michael Phelps Diet – The Pasta, the Energy Drinks, and the Myth

The Michael Phelps Diet – Fact or Fiction?

We tend to build up our heroes and stars into the stuff of myth and legend. Michael Phelps was no different. From lauding his built-for-swimming-physique, to his surreal talent and innate feel for the water, it is easy to forget that most importantly he had an insane work ethic, a level of focus and clarity that few could match, and an unwavering amount of commitment.

The Michael Phelps diet legend was just that, legend, according to the swimmer.

12,000 CALORIES PER DAY? NOT SO MUCH.

The New York Post was the first to run a story on Phelps’ reported binge eating, with news outlets from Men’s Health to NBC all taking the story and running with it in the vignettes before and during the Beijing Games. In the article that ran the Post wrote that Phelps would consume 4,000 calories per meal. Here is what the Post ran as Phelps’ diet (which upon reading is ridiculous) –

Michael Phelps Diet

In numerous interviews since then Phelps has refuted the calorie bonanza as a myth, as a story that was overblown. In an interview with Ryan Seacrest before the London Games Phelps chuckled at the supposed fact, telling Seacrest –

“I never ate that much. It’s all a myth. I’ve never eaten that many calories. I wish! It’s just too much though. It would be impossible.”

Seacrest’s reply is typical of what many people probably felt upon reading the smorgasbord that Phelps allegedly stuffed himself with on a daily basis, while also managing to keep the swimmer figure – six pack and all –

“Good, because I was starting to really loathe you, that you could eat all of this.”

His actual diet may have included a lot of pizza and carb-heavy foods in the past, but during his prep for London, where he wasn’t training as much (“only” six days per week) his nutrition improved.

Now his day tends to look more along the lines of this:

Michael Phelps Diet 2

See More Stuff Like This:

Nutrition for Swimmers: Everything You Need to Know. Our always growing section of nutrition and diet tips, from gluten, creatine to pre-workout, we cover all things diet related for competitive swimmers here.

Michael Phelps by the Numbers. How many gold medals has he won? What’s his resting heart rate? And much more.

Get Daily Tips on How to Swim Faster

Subscribe to the YourSwimLog.com newsletter and get tips and advice on how to swim faster every weekday morning, straight to your inbox. 

Join 33,000+ swimmers, coaches, and swim parents learning what it takes to swim like a boss.

Unsubscribe anytime. Email will never be shared or sold.

Olivier Poirier-Leroy Olivier Poirier-Leroy is the founder of YourSwimLog.com. He is an author, former national level swimmer, two-time Olympic Trials qualifier, and swim coach.

Related Articles

Bob Bowman characteristics of champions
Michael Phelps

Bob Bowman – Characteristics of Champions (Video)

Bob Bowman, head coach of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, and Michael Phelps’ long time coach, shares what he believes are the core characteristics of champions, whether in the pool, the field, or the boardroom. In this 18 minute speech given for Chicago Ideas Week, Bowman talks about what it

Read More »
michael phelps freestyle
Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps Freestyle

For years Michael Phelps freestyle was a dominant presence on the international scene. He held the 200 metre freestyle world record until Paul Biedermann came along and broke it during the super-suit frenzy of 2009, and was also a key piece on the US men’s 4×100 freestyle relay (also breaking

Read More »
Michael Phelps

10 Michael Phelps Quotes

Here are 10 motivational swimming quotes, from the greatest swimmer of all time, Michael Phelps— Nothing is impossible. With so many people saying it couldn’t be done, all it takes is imagination. Phelps sets him apart by the competition by willing to dream the impossible, by willing to stretch the

Read More »