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What 7 world famous athletes eat and drink to stay in peak physical condition
Men and women reportedly consume an average of 2,800 and 2,300 calories per day respectively and exercise for half an hour — but for the world's top athletes, this is nowhere near enough.
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Online betting and gaming company Ladbrokes recently looked at the diets and exercise regimes of famous athletes to see how their routines compare with everyday people.
Labrokes' research was based on interviews, stats, and trainer commentary within a range of different sports, from football to boxing.
From Andy Murray's 5,500 calorie day to MMA champion Conor McGregor's grueling eight hours of exercise, this is how the world's top athletes eat and train.
Calories: 5,500
Exercise: 3.5 hours a day
Bolt has one of the most surprising diet routines on our list. According to The Huffington Post, he loves to eat chicken nuggets and wings in the morning before he hits the track — he ate an estimated 1,000 chicken nuggets while competing at the Beijing Olympics in 2012, according to Ladbrokes.
He maintains a diet made up of 60% protein, 30% carbs, and 10% fat, and often eats ackee and saltfish with dumplings, cooked banana, or sweet potato for breakfast.
Lunch is often made up of pasta with chicken, while dinner tends to be rice with peas and pork.
While he only trains 3.5 hours per day, compared to the eight hours undertaken by MMA champion Conor McGregor, he has said that he simply "concentrates on being the greatest at all times."
Calories: 5,500
Exercise: 5.5 hours a day
On a regular training day, Murray eats muesli or porridge followed by eggs, bacon, and beans for breakfast. A fruit smoothie and protein and vegetables is on the menu for lunch. Dinner involves a soup, seafood, or salad starter, followed by chicken, potatoes, and vegetables, according to Men's Health.
The tennis superstar meditates in order to stay focused, according to Ladbrokes.
Calories: 3,489
Exercise: 4.5 hours a day
According to Self, Williams starts her day with a green juice, protein smoothie, or fruit, or an egg white omelette or granola. She opts for vegan restaurants or rice, beans, and grilled shrimp for lunch, snacks on kale chips, dates, and cashews, and typically makes a salad with chicken for dinner.
Along with her intensive tennis training, Williams also dances to keep fit, according to Ladbrokes. She told People that she spends as much time in the gym as she does on the court.
Calories: 1,749
Exercise: 6 hours a day
The now retired Ennis-Hill trained almost twice as much as Usain Bolt. According to Women's Health, she mixed up her routine to "surprise" her body, from circuit training including crunches, press-ups, jumps, planks, and dips to sprints.
The gold medal heptathlete also walks her dog as part of her exercise routine, according to Ladbrokes.
In terms of diet, her breakfasts are made up of the likes of toast, cereal, or granola with yogurt and juice, fruit or cereal bars for a mid-morning snack, sandwiches, pastas, salads, or soups for lunch, and chili, stir-fry, pasta, salmon, risotto, or lasagna for dinner. She even indulges in the odd glass of red wine.
Calories: 3,186
Exercise: 8 hours a day
While eight hours a day might seem like an insane amount of exercise, the FC champion Conor McGregor doesn't stick to a strict workout regime, according to Bodybuilding.com.
"I wake up, I drink water, I stretch, I begin to loosen up, and then I continue moving throughout the day," McGregor said. "I'll hit the gym or whatever I feel like at that particular time, or I'll take a class of taekwondo, jiu-jitsu, yoga, or capoeira. Sometimes, I'll box. Variety is the best way. For me, regime doesn't work."
He added that he's "always eating good food" and is rarely caught eating take-out.
"I love water and coconut water, but I never drink energy drinks — ever!" he said. "I just eat good, quality meat and keep hydrated."
Calories: 4,575
Exercise: 6 hours a day
The footballer eats a bowl of coco pops on match day mornings, according to Ladbrokes, and practices visualization techniques to get his mental state in check.
In his book "My Decade in the Premier League," he wrote: "The club like us not to go overboard on the eating and drinking in the close-season break, so if I go abroad I like to get into the hotel gym three times a week to work on the treadmill and do some weight work. That way I can be sharp when we get back to training and the running will feel easier when the pre-season games start."
Calories: 2,706
Exercise: 6 hours a day
UFC star Rousey follows The Dolce Diet, according to Cosmopolitan, which involves whole, nutrient-rich ingredients important for building muscle mass and promoting recovery. While she said she doesn't count calories, her diet often consists of a chia bowl and coffee for breakfast, scrambled eggs on bread for lunch, something like turkey chili for dinner, and Greek yogurt for dessert.
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