He has already earned himself a record-breaking 16 Olympic medals and the world will watch as he propels himself through the water for gold in the next few weeks.
But American international swimmer Michael Phelps works hard for the enviably strong physique that has garnered him an army of female fans as well as a closet full of medals.
The 27-year-old athlete, whose arms span 6ft 7in (201 cm)—disproportionate to his height of 6ft 4in inches (193 cm)— maintains that his performance is down to his highly calorific diet, which sees him feast on a staggering 12,000 calories every day.
He starts the day with a hearty breakfast consisting of three fried-egg sandwiches, three chocolate chip pancakes, a five-egg omelette, three sugar-coated slices of French toast, and a bowl of grits (maize porridge).
His lunch doesn't get much smaller as he devours half a kilogram of pasta (enriched with vitamins and fibre) over lunch, two large ham and cheese sandwiches covered in mayonnaise and gallons of energy drinks.
For his final meal of the day, he finishes off the remaining kilogram of pasta, followed by pizza and more energy drinks.
For his final meal of the day, he finishes off the remaining kilogram of pasta, followed by pizza and more energy drinks.
Jenny says that Michael's energy drink consumption is necessary for an athlete in order to keep his electrolytes balanced and his muscles hydrated.
'Carb and electrolyte enhance drinks should be taken to replenish glycogen stores in muscles and liver as dehydration can cause muscles to fatigue very quickly.
'But I would always check the sugar content on the bottles.'
Phelps' high-calorie diet clearly pays off as his international titles and record-breaking performances have earned him the World Swimmer of the Year Award six times and American Swimmer of the Year Award eight times.
He has won a total of 66 medals in major international competition, 55 gold, nine silver, and three bronze spanning the Olympics, the World, and the Pan Pacific Championships.
His unprecedented Olympic success in 2008 earned Phelps Sports Illustrated magazine's Sportsman of the Year award.
The 12,000 calorie-a-day diet that Michael feasts on
BREAKFAST
• Three fried-egg sandwiches
• Three chocolate chip pancakes
• A five-egg omelette
• Three sugar-coated slices of French toast
• A bowl of grits (maize porridge)
LUNCH
• Half a kilogram of pasta
• Two large ham and cheese sandwiches covered in mayonnaise
• Gallons of energy drinks
DINNER
• Half a kilogram of pasta
• Pizza
• Energy drinks
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This is an article I saw on another site about Michael phelps diet