(Our featured illustration is from the official web site of the Olympics)
We know that the ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia, Greece, until 393 AD before a 1,503-year hiatus that came to an end with the resumption of the Games in Athens in 1896.
We’re also aware that Paris, France enjoys an outsized reputation for food, drink, restaurants, fine dining and tiny artisanal bakeries tucked behind a statue somewhere.
The 2024 Olympic Games are underway in Paris, prompting curiosity about the food consumed by participants. Given the underachieving nature of my own career in American high school team sports, I’d be the one sneaking out of the Olympic village to grab Couscous Royal and house plonk somewhere on the Left Bank.
Of course, this is why I wasn’t any good, but the point remains: What do the world’s finest athletes eat?
But first, what did Greece’s finest athletes eat during ancient times?
The Diet of Ancient Greek Olympian Athletes, by Anna Wichmann (Greek Reporter)
Charmis of Sparta, the winner of the 200-meter race at the ancient Olympics in 668 BC, trained on a diet mainly composed of dried figs.
Lentils and beans were also an integral part of an athlete’s diet in ancient Greece, but they were controversial, as some claimed they had negative health effects.
Lastly, seafood and eggs were an additional, significant part of the ancient Greek diet which likely served as good sources of protein for ancient Olympians.
The key takeaway for modern times: “Just like the rest of us, the bodies of athletes have different physiological needs.”
What Olympians really eat: How fueling athletes isn’t one size fits all, by Alice Barraclough (Women’s Health)
The 2008 Beijing Olympics were the turning point. Word got out that the US swimmer Michael Phelps was fuelling his gold medal-winning strokes across the 50m-long pool with three fried egg sandwiches, three chocolate-chip pancakes, a five-egg omelette, three sugar-coated slices of French toast, a bowl of porridge-like grits and two cups of coffee. Just for breakfast.
Then, the Jamaican sprinter Usain Bold revealed that his two world records broken at the same iconic games were powered by 100 McDonald’s chicken nuggets. Per day.
In the decade and a half since, our fascination with how Olympians – the most physically impressive men and women on the planet – fuel their bodies for the world’s stage has only grown.
As always, it’s food for thought.
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“Edibles & Potables” is Food & Dining Magazine’s Sunday slot for news and views that range beyond our customary metropolitan Louisville coverage area, as intended to be food (and drink) for thought.
Previously …
Edibles & Potables: “Why there won’t be a ‘new’ Anthony Bourdain”
