# Ridiculously High-Calorie Diets Caloric Consumption of Beijing Olympic Athletes By Marissa Brassfield | Published 2008-08-16 | Pop Culture Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/high-calorie-diets-daily-calorie-consumption-of-beijing-olympic-athletes References: [seriouseats](http://www.seriouseats.com/2008/08/daily-calorie-consumptions-of-beijing-olympians.html) & [nytimes](http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/magazine/803BODIES_index.html) It's a Herculean effort to consume enough calories to power an Olympic athlete; the 2,000-calorie diet recommended for mere mortals is vastly insufficient for these elite individuals. Today's *[New York Times](http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/07/30/magazine/803BODIES_index.html)* explores the calories six Beijing Olympians consume on a daily basis. On the low end, there's **Cheryl Haworth**, a weightlifter who consumes 3,000-4,000 calories a day. Rower **Brett Newlin**, on the other hand, eats 6,000 calories per day. But what of swimmer **Michael Phelps**, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time? His [daily recommended calorie intake](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kalory-ai) is **8,000-10,000 calories**. A god among men, at least in the swimming and eating departments. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 5.7/10 - Popularity: 74% | Activity: 88% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 90% men, 10% women - Primary generations: Millennial - Top markets: North America, Europe, Asia ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Pop Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/popculture) > [Leaders](https://www.trendhunter.com/leaders) ## Key Themes ### Key Themes Behind This Trend - **High-calorie Diets for Athletes:** Opportunities for developing specialized high-calorie meal plans and products for athletes to meet their demanding nutritional needs. - **Personalized Nutrition for Elite Athletes:** Potential for offering personalized nutrition coaching and meal delivery services tailored to the specific caloric requirements of individual athletes. - **Optimizing Performance Through Caloric Intake:** Innovations in tracking and monitoring systems that help athletes optimize their performance by precisely managing their caloric intake. ### Where This Applies - **Sports Nutrition:** Opportunity for sports nutrition companies to develop and market high-calorie products for athletes. - **Meal Delivery Services:** Potential for meal delivery services to cater to the specific caloric needs of athletes, offering convenient and tailored nutrition solutions. - **Fitness Tracking Technology:** Opportunity for companies in the fitness tracking industry to develop advanced tools for athletes to track and optimize their caloric intake. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Athlete-Approved Restaurant Meals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/justin-medeiros-salad-bowl.md) - [Golden Olympic Burrito Promotions](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/team-chipotle.md) - [Thematic Athlete-Celebrating Dairy Commercials](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dairy-commercial.md) - [Female Athlete Nutrition Ranges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/athena-sports-nutrition.md) - [Sports-Inspired Digital Docuseries](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/digital-docuseries.md) - [Nutrition Strategies-Optimizing Features](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nutrition-strategies.md) - [Athletic Breed Dog Foods](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/victor-bully-fuel.md) - [Athlete-Curated Fast Casual Menus](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/team-chipotle-menu.md) - [Olympic-Inspired Dining Experiences](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/olympic-ring-menu.md)