What Does Usain Bolt Eat That Makes Him So Damn Fast?

 

What does the daily diet of the fastest man in the world really look like? We know he loves chicken nuggets and hot wings, but is this really what lies behind that strength and world record-breaking speed? Surely fast food isn't the secret to those muscles and that energy.

Bolt has explained that in the last five years, he's had to start taking his diet more seriously: He's not going to be able to keep winning if he insists on eating chicken nuggets and going out every night. So, his coach has laid out a strict, vegetable-filled diet plan to ensure that Bolt remains the speediest runner on earth.

Every day begins with an egg sandwich (made for him by his personal chef), eaten before his first training session. Throughout the day, Bolt tries not to eat too much, or to eat anything too heavy, as he needs to eat just enough to give him the energy to train. This also has to be food he can digest quickly, so it doesn't affect his training sessions. With this in mind, he eats mango, pineapple, and apples as snacks throughout the day, and he breaks for a lunch of pasta with corned beef. However, if he's trying to drop some pounds, he'll swap the corned beef for chicken or fish.

Bolt also underlines the importance of staying hydrated all day, especially since he is training in the hot Jamaican climate, so he sips on Gatorade throughout the day; Not taking in enough fluid would be one of the worst mistakes he could make.

Dinner is when Bolt really eats as much as he can and needs to. His coach insists that his plate be filled with vegetables — especially broccoli, which he hates. While this may not be what this Olympic champion really wants to eat, if that's what it takes to win gold, he's willing to do it. Bolt's typical dinner consists of a combination of yams, roasted chicken, broccoli, Jamaican dumplings, rice, peas, and sometimes pork.  A huge plate of these nutritious foods — and resisting giving into his cravings for junk food — is enough to help his body recover, while simultaneously energizing it for yet another day of Olympic training.