It takes superhuman amounts of effort, devotion, and focus—including paying attention to what they eat. GQ looks into what elite sportsmen in various sports consume on a daily basis to perform at their best in this series. Here's a peek at pro skater Nyjah Huston's everyday diet.
Breakfast: Two eggs with cheese, tomato, and onion on whole wheat toast. Lunch: A salad with chicken, pasta, or rice and vegetables. Dinner: Meat, potatoes, and vegetables. Sometimes he has ice cream or candy bars for dessert.
Nyjah Huston is an American professional skateboarder from Los Angeles, California. He has been voted the greatest street skateboarder of all time by fans across the world.
He started skating at the age of eight and never looked back. Within a few years, he was winning contests and attracting attention from major brands such as Vans who hired him to design shoes for men's and women's collections. In 2007, Huston became the first ever male professional skateboarder to be signed to Vans. Since then, he has appeared in several videos sponsored by the company and toured worldwide performing live shows.
However, his career was nearly ended when he was shot in the chest during an attempted robbery in 2011. The bullet missed his heart by just a few inches and he recovered fully from his injuries.
Professional footballers, like other professional athletes, must pay equal attention to their food as they do to their training. And, whilst they might have gone off the field and scoffed a lunch of steak and chips in the past, there is now a far greater emphasis on nutrition and its impact on a player's game. Indeed, many modern footballers rely on protein shakes and energy bars instead.
When it comes to meat, most footballers are now vegetarian or vegan. This is because eating meat can be hard on your stomach and body if you're playing at a high level - especially if you're also drinking alcohol or taking drugs. The key word here is "modern" - some famous footballers have done this before, such as Franz Beckenbauer and Pele, but it's not something that most people would expect today.
Some players will still have meat in their diets, however. For example, Paul Scholes is known for his love of beef ribs and John Terry likes chicken. These are both fine choices for a main meal, but remember that any meat is going to put more stress on your body than food rich in protein and carbohydrates.
In terms of steak, the best option here is going to be tofu. Soya beans are a great source of protein that won't cause problems for your stomach or body and, with some light cooking, they can taste quite delicious.
We spoke with Jessica Ennis-Hill about her daily nutrition, her top suggestions for amateur athletes, and how she treats herself when competition season is finished. When preparing for a large event, what is your regular daily diet?
My daily diet is basically made up of three meals and two snacks. I usually start my day with an egg white frittata or an omelet filled with vegetables and lean meat. For breakfast I have either porridge or muesli with fresh fruit. Lunch is usually a big salad with chicken or tuna as a main ingredient. For dinner I have a vegetable curry with brown rice.
I try not to eat too much after 7 p.m. because I like to be active in the morning. My advice to anyone looking to improve their performance in sports events is to eat less but better. That means filling your stomach with small meals rather than one big one, so your body doesn't go into starvation mode. Also, drink plenty of water and cut down on the amount of sugar you consume. These steps will help you feel more energized and resistant to injury.
I don't believe in low-fat diets, only healthy ones. You should never eat anything labeled "low fat" because then it's probably high in sugar or salt.
It turns out that the amount of food Olympians consume varies greatly based not just on the events in which they compete, but also on their body type and lifestyle outside of the Olympic stage. A typical Olympic shooter, for example, may have quite different calorie requirements than a swimmer like Michael Phelps. Sports such as boxing and wrestling can require up to twice as many calories per day as an event like running or cycling.
When an athlete competes, his or her body needs energy to play. During exercise, the brain sends signals to the stomach and other organs to release hormones that cause them to produce more insulin. Insulin helps transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells where it is used for energy. Therefore, athletes need to supply their bodies with plenty of fuel before, during, and after competitions.
In addition to carbohydrates and proteins, the diet of an athlete must include vitamins and minerals. All athletes should be sure to meet with a nutritionist at least once before competing to make sure they are getting everything they need. The nutritionist can suggest changes to the diet if any nutrients are found to be low during testing.
During competition, an athlete's blood glucose levels may rise higher than normal. This is because the increased activity demands more energy, so the body turns to glucose for fuel. Once the athlete has stopped exercising, however, his or her blood glucose will return to normal without any further treatment from dietary sources.
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