Eating like an Olympian. The truth!
So what is the deal with eating like an Olympian? With the recent Winter Olympics in Vancouver, I got really interested in what these athletes ate in order to compete. Actually, I should restate that. I was more interested in how ‘Eat like an Olympian’ message from McDonald’s would put the future athletes on the top of the Olympic podium.
Fast Food? Really?.. Really?
Several McDonald’s commercials during the Winter Games got me very curios. Is fast food really the food of champions? And, is it okay to eat fried chicken and fries if you’re an athlete? In the back of my mind I knew the answers to those questions, but I wanted to do a little research of my own to find out what some of the athletes do eat when it comes to crunch time. So, I thought I’d let you know as well, because the whole fast food and Olympian thing just doesn’t add up. At least to me it doesn’t.
Eating like an Olympian… Not Really
One of the commercials for McDonald’s portrayed a young girls’ hockey team whose coach was giving an inspiring speech. I was totally fine with that, what got me frustrated was what the coach said at the end. He said something along the lines of, “Tonight, we’re going to eat like Olympians.” The next scene shows fries, sodas, and burgers. Are you kidding me? Does this mean that athletes of high caliber munch on cheeseburgers with fries? To me, the message here is dead wrong and it puts the wrong perception into the minds of young athletes.
Now, do you think Apolo Ohno would be able to skate the way he did throughout the Olympics if he was on McDonald’s Olympic diet? Exactly, he probably wouldn’t even fit into those tights.
Now Eating like an Olympian
Speaking of Apolo Ohno, I did some research and found out some cool information on what he eats. Remember Apolo is one of the most decorated Winter Olympians.
Apolo’s trainer John Schaeffer revealed some of Apolo’s diet. The skater’s meals consist of mostly fish, fruits and vegetables (nothing surprising here). Healthy fats only, so, fast food clearly doesn’t fit in here. Before the race, Apolo eats foods like brown rice, pasta, potatoes, and green vegetables. His recovery meal consists of lean chicken breasts, coconut milk, and of course, vegetables.
Lance Armstrong’s trainer, Chris Carmichael, mentioned his athlete’s strict diet with good essential fats, quality carbohydrates, and everything in right proportions. If Lance was eating Big Macs and drinking soda, then the only way he would make it up those hills during Tour de France is with a motorcycle.
It’s About the Message
The reason why I was frustrated about McDonald’s commercials is that the wrong message was portrayed. Many Olympians are idols to young generation, and fast food companies are using it to promote their products. There is nothing wrong with McDonald’s being a sponsor of the Olympics, but it’s wrong to associate fast food with the world’s top athletes.
So, if we want to end up on the Olympic podium, instead of the scales on the Biggest Loser, we need to have a different message here. A message that would show top athletes achieve their glory through hard work, good diet, and dedication. If you’re an athlete and your diet consists of junk food, then the Olympic podium is definitely not for you.