Nutrition is an important part of everyone’s well-being and health, especially for athletes who have to make sure they are fueling their body with the proper type and quantity of food. Let’s have a closer look at what top Skaters are eating to stay healthy and energized.
“No day begins without breakfast. It’s truly my favorite meal of the day,” two-time Olympian Jason Brown (USA) shares. “I typically make some eggs and avocado toast with a side of fruit.” For dinner, he often likes to cook fish and vegetables accompanied by carbohydrates such as smashed potato pizza for example. And, most importantly during the off-season, Jason appreciates being able to enjoy his meals together with his family. “I travel so frequently during the season that it is so nice to be home with my family during the break,” he emphasizes.
Food - not only for athletes - should be nutritious and balanced, not too fat, not too sweet, not too heavy. In order for the body to regenerate after a sweaty workout, it is important to quickly replenish the energy reserves. In the best case, the meal after exercise should consist of a combination of all important macronutrients and include easily digestible carbohydrates, some protein and good fat.
Australian Ice Dancer Holly Harris shares for example a typical full day of meals that she eats while training for the season: a chia pudding with strawberries and cereals for breakfast, a chicken stir fry with vegetables and rice for lunch and a miso salmon with sweet potato mash and salad for dinner.
Nutrition plans and tips are also often shared among a same team, as exemplified by the Canadian Synchronized team “Les Suprêmes”, that presents one of their favorite training meals: Skyr yogurt with berries and granola in the morning, tuna/ham sandwiches with vegetables, cucumbers or salads at lunch and snacks (gogo squeeze, granola bars, crackers and cheese, fruits, cottage cheese with berries) in the afternoon.
Pre or post-workout shakes and smoothies are also often favored by athletes as a great source of energy and nutrients to be taken between meals or as a meal on-the-go. The 2023 European bronze medalist Lukas Britschgi (SUI) for example reveals his recipe for a special protein shake he prepares. “I usually drink the protein shake only in the off-season or when I have to adjust my diet a bit,” he explains. “It contains quite a lot of proteins and calories - about 1000 calories. It consists of protein powder - concentrated with added carbs, maltodextrin - low-fat cottage cheese, ground hazelnuts, oatmeal, banana, peanut butter and a little milk.”
Smoothies represent for him a good and easy to carry source of natural sugar and fibers: “Make yourselves healthy smoothies. Put your fruits or veggies in there, with a little milk or something and you've got a big chunk of your daily fruits and veggies covered. The smoothies you can drink comfortably throughout the day and depending on the composition they are delicious.” He adds that he does not have much of a sweet tooth, but likes some chocolate from time to time (don’t forget he is from Switzerland, the home of chocolate !): “In principle I often do without unhealthy snacks, because they may taste good, but are not very supportive for the sport. I’d rather have a healthy energy bar or a banana.”
The three-time Swiss national champion explains that he is often losing some weight during the season, especially right before and during major competitions such as the ISU World Championships. “However, since I can only gain weight back very slowly, I resort to the shake to regulate my weight again. I can lose weight without problems in a short time, but I can't gain weight. Most Figure Skaters have exactly the other "problem" and want to lose weight, but with me it is the opposite.”
As Britschgi is training rather intensively in the weight room in spring and summer he wants to supply his body with enough carbohydrates and proteins. The Swiss Skater has some tips to share about the sport nutrition diet he recommends: “The diet should be balanced and healthy. We basically need a good immune system and the body should be able to provide us with energy and strength through food,” he noted. “I try to eat about 3000 calories a day with about 350g of carbohydrates, because I also burn plenty. For proteins, there is a general rule of thumb of 1 gram per body weight. However, an athlete should or can also take in 1.6-2 grams of protein a day, which is the case with me. Fruits and vegetables are unfortunately always lacking with me, but they form the basis of a healthy diet and vegetables should be at every meal on the plate. I also recommend to eat fruits before or after training such as a banana.”
Britschgi mentions that he has discussed and analyzed his everyday life and competition diet with several nutritionists over the years. “I recommend everyone who has the opportunity for such a consultation to take advantage of it,” he points out.
Diets will of course vary depending on tastes and physical needs, but there is a wide variety of healthy, tasty food that can be easily prepared, as the Skaters prove.
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