Mo Farah Profile

An athlete’s training regime generally involves around five or six meals or snacks per day, all strategically planned around various training sessions in order to maintain their fitness and energy levels. A typical diet will perhaps feature around 6,000 calories, to match the sheer level of training they go through to achieve brilliant results.

Having a strict diet and lifestyle is sure to be all part and parcel of being an Olympic and world champion for long-distance runner Mo Farah. Here we take a look at how he plans his diet and training to achieve such outstanding results.

Meals

In an interview with BBC Good Food, Mo Farah listed his typical meals, explaining how he usually sticks to similar foods to make sure he maintains the level of energy he needs while training.

Food for Mo tends to be spread out into numerous small meals, usually sticking to pasta, healthy grilled chicken and steamed veg. Mo does occasionally allow himself the odd treat of dark chocolate, as it’s great for a quick energy-lift, too, as well as having a soft spot for burgers when not in training!

Training

Farah works with his trainer Alberto Salazar, and in an interview with Runners World, he described how his new trainer has introduced him to begin using an underwater treadmill. The benefits of this means that he can train more, working on technique and running further, as running underwater reduces the risk of injury when compared to running in open air.

When committing to an athlete’s lifestyle, it’s essential to find the right balance between the intake of calories and exertion of energy. In order to maintain a constant weight, men need an average of 2,500kcal and women 2,000 kcal per day. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of how many calories are being burnt through exercise in order to properly replenish yourself, should you be engaging in exercise above and beyond the recommended amount.

Sources

https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/olympics/Pages/Athletediet.aspx

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/eat-athlete-mo-farah

https://www.runnersworld.co.uk/interview/rw-interviews-mo-farah/7081.html