Journalist attempts to match Michael Phelps' diet for a day

[Arnold]

Swimming at a world-best training level would burn off 1000+ calories an hour, easy (swimming at an "amateur" pace burns off 800+ an hour). 6 hours in the pool a day means 6000K calories just from swimming. If he requires 4000 calories just lying in bed all day (except for eating) to keep from losing weight that easily takes him above 10K calories a day.

4000 calories a day for being in the infirmery is on the incredibly high side.  If you figure that the average, mobile, male requires approximately 2000, you are just a bit off.

[Arnold]

From a quick search, some Navy sites say that guys in BUD/S need 3,500-4,000 cals.  These guys aren't training for athletic performance, but training to NEVER QUIT!  Olympic athletes aren't getting pounded into the ground like BUD/S guys are.  Oly athletes get back off days, because you can't train to the max everyday and see increased performance, whereas the guys in BUD/S training are getting their WILL tested. 

I just find it hard to believe that Phelps needs 3 times their caloric requirement.

[DraconianOne]

I'd say "fuck carbs" and carry sticks of butter or bota bags of olive oil, or something like that.

And I'd say no. And then I'd have to explain why but I can't be arsed and you'll tell me it was meant to be in green text, so "no" will have to do.

[4000 calories a day for being in the infirmery is on the incredibly high side.  If you figure that the average, mobile, male requires approximately 2000, you are just a bit off.

For lying in a bed all day, an average man with his stats will need ~2100 for weight maintainance alone (using Harris-Benedict formula). If he had a desk job and a pretty sedentary lifestyle, he'd need about 2300kcal - 2500kcal a day.  An average man with his stats and a reasonably active lifestyle will need 3000 a day just for weight maintenance. Phelp's daily requirement could easily be in the region of 4000Kcal a day just to maintain weight once you take into consideration calories needed for muscle growth and muscle repair. 1000kCal/hr of training could possibly be well short of the mark but will do as a figure.  So Trippy's numbers are well within reason without stretching the bounds - apart from the perhaps the lying in bed all day.

Keep in mind that the average man also has ~15 to ~20 (in theory, anyway) of body fat which will also be used as energy stores.  Phelps is estimated to have about 8% body fat so has none to spare for that.

[Trippy]

4000 calories a day for being in the infirmery is on the incredibly high side.  If you figure that the average, mobile, male requires approximately 2000, you are just a bit off.

Yeah it would be, so he would have to walk around a bit (more than just getting up to eat food). But if you look at your typical "calories per day" calculator and you plug in his weight and height and level of activity and you easily get over 4K for the calories he would need to just maintain his body weight.

[Arnold]

I'd say "fuck carbs" and carry sticks of butter or bota bags of olive oil, or something like that.

And I'd say no. And then I'd have to explain why but I can't be arsed and you'll tell me it was meant to be in green text, so "no" will have to do.

[4000 calories a day for being in the infirmery is on the incredibly high side.  If you figure that the average, mobile, male requires approximately 2000, you are just a bit off.

Phelp's daily requirement could easily be in the region of 4000Kcal a day just to maintain weight once you take into consideration calories needed for muscle growth and muscle repair. 1000kCal/hr of training could possibly be well short of the mark but will do as a figure.  So Trippy's numbers are well within reason without stretching the bounds - apart from the perhaps the lying in bed all day.

Keep in mind that the average man also has ~15 to ~20 (in theory, anyway) of body fat which will also be used as energy stores.  Phelps is estimated to have about 8% body fat so has none to spare for that.

But if you are laying in bed all day (BMR), you don't need calories for muscle growth and repair.  And I don't care what his body fat is, because we were talking about maintaining weight.  He's 6'3" and about 200 lbs.  His BMR is about 2000 k/cals (2,125).

[DraconianOne]

But if you are laying in bed all day (BMR), you don't need calories for muscle growth and repair.  And I don't care what his body fat is, because we were talking about maintaining weight.  He's 6'3" and about 200 lbs.  His BMR is about 2000 k/cals (2,125).

If I was lying in bed all day then yes, that's more or less exactly what I need. But we're not talking about me, or you or an average man. We're talking about Michael Phelps who is most definitely not an average man.  He's an Olympic swimmer. He trains for 6 hours a day. His calorie requirement for maintaining his weight is going to be higher than the average man. If he stops training and stops swimming and becomes like you or me then yeah, sure, 2000Kcals a day will cut it but if, next week, he rests up for a day after getting back from Beijing and just lies in bed doing nothing, he will probably still burn more calories than the average office worker will do during their normal day. I agree, I think 4000 a day is pushing it but 2500-3000? Yeah, easily.

[Arnold]

But if you are laying in bed all day (BMR), you don't need calories for muscle growth and repair.  And I don't care what his body fat is, because we were talking about maintaining weight.  He's 6'3" and about 200 lbs.  His BMR is about 2000 k/cals (2,125).

If I was lying in bed all day then yes, that's more or less exactly what I need. But we're not talking about me, or you or an average man. We're talking about Michael Phelps who is most definitely not an average man.  He's an Olympic swimmer. He trains for 6 hours a day. His calorie requirement for maintaining his weight is going to be higher than the average man. If he stops training and stops swimming and becomes like you or me then yeah, sure, 2000Kcals a day will cut it but if, next week, he rests up for a day after getting back from Beijing and just lies in bed doing nothing, he will probably still burn more calories than the average office worker will do during their normal day. I agree, I think 4000 a day is pushing it but 2500-3000? Yeah, easily.

You, him, whoever.  If you are laying in bed, then you are bedridden.  I think it was Trippy who started the whole thing by saying 4,000 k/cals in bed.

[DraconianOne]

You, him, whoever.  If you are laying in bed, then you are bedridden.

Who it is makes a big difference. As does their body composition. As does their lifestyle. As does their training regime.

That body fat percentage you don't care about? Two people of same height and weight with 10% difference in body fat are going to have a BMR difference of 100-150Kcal a day. Why? Because muscle burns about three times more kCal per pound than fat does.

Training for a 100 minutes one day means that the next day, your metabolism can be up to 10% above it's basic level. That's another 200Kcal right there on just 100 minutes of exercise.  Not even a regular exercise regime - just one day. 30 minutes of exercise will raise your BMR above normal levels for up to two days.*

So without even trying and without even considering a regular 6 hour Olympic training regime or the physiology and body composition of the world's fastest swimmer, we've just added 300+ calories to that BMR of 2100.

*Sources available on request

[Arnold]

You, him, whoever.  If you are laying in bed, then you are bedridden.

Who it is makes a big difference. As does their body composition. As does their lifestyle. As does their training regime.

That body fat percentage you don't care about? Two people of same height and weight with 10% difference in body fat are going to have a BMR difference of 100-150Kcal a day. Why? Because muscle burns about three times more kCal per pound than fat does. *Sources available on request

Not for long.  Use it or lose it.  If you aren't training, your body is going to catabolize that muscle tissue, and save the fat for when it's really necessary.

Have you seen the studies done on astronauts and how quickly they become de-conditioned?  Same thing happens if you lay in bed all day.

[NowhereMan]

I don't there was any suggestion that if Phelps lay around in bed for the rest of his life he'd maintain his super duper metabolism. The argument was, besides his training with his body the way it is he'd be consuming 4,000kcal (or 2.5-3 on the more conservative estimate) even if he was just lying in bed for the rest of the day. Saying that if he stopped training then this would no longer be the case is arguing... I don't even know what against whom. It's a totally different discussion.

[Trippy]

There wasn't (at least by me) but I like how this debate is still going on

[Arnold]

If he requires 4000 calories just lying in bed all day (except for eating) to keep from losing weight that easily takes him above 10K calories a day.

[Trippy]

Did you even read the post I was responding to?

[Arnold]

Did you even read the post I was responding to?

Look back at your post, it's just a general reply.  You don't quote any specific post, so I don't have a reference to which one you mean.

[Trippy]

Did you even read the post I was responding to?

Look back at your post, it's just a general reply.  You don't quote any specific post, so I don't have a reference to which one you mean.

I don't quote the post right above mine if I'm replying to it. Just like I didn't quote your post and yet you somehow knew who I was responding to.

[Arnold]

k, so you were responding to my post.  No, he does not need 4,000 k/cal to lay in bed all day. Try 2,000.

[Trippy]

Did you not see my correction?

Edit: NM don't respond I'm through talking about this with you. You are just arguing for the sake of arguing and are fucking wasting my time.

[DraconianOne]

You are just arguing for the sake of arguing and are fucking wasting my time.

You mean, that's not what the internet's for? 

I think we're being successfully trolled and I feel ashamed to have been caught up in it.