Michael Jordan works hard to stay at his esteemed peak. He is tireless during practice, seemingly even more so during games. He gets up early during the season to lift weights with his trainer.
Perhaps as important, he watches what he eats. This is not lost on teammates. When he returned to the Bulls in the spring of 1995, the previously unpopular locker-room stash of nutritional energy bars started disappearing once players realized Jordan ate one or two before each game.
"Michael is not a big eater," said Tim Grover, Jordan's personal trainer for the last eight years. "He eats only when he's hungry and only until he feels comfortable rather than full."
Grover, who works with several other NBA players, says Jordan is a model client.
"I don't monitor Michael's nutrition plan anywhere near as much as the younger players I consult," Grover said. "He's learned more each year what works for him, what gives him the most energy and stamina."
Jordan is stricter about meals during the season, Grover said. (The team starts training camp later this week.)
"But it's not like I worry about Michael eating junk food during the off-season," said Grover, who has been working daily (lifting, running, cycling) with the Bulls star during the past several weeks. "I actually worry about him not eating. He tends to lose weight quickly; he has a high rate of metabolism."
Grover addresses Jordan's metabolic rate by advising more frequent but smaller meals during the day.
"This helps regulate the blood sugar or insulin level in the body," Grover said. "If he were to eat a big breakfast and then not have any food again until after practice, say around 3 p.m., then his insulin and energy levels would raise up in the morning for a while but crash in the afternoon. It could affect his mood along with his activity level."
Instead, Grover suggests a good-sized breakfast--the biggest meal of the day--followed by a midmorning fitness shake, lunch, a midafternoon fitness shake and a light dinner. On game nights, Jordan might eat a larger dinner instead of the midafternoon snack, then maybe a light snack after the game.
"Skipping breakfast is a bad idea and a common mistake," Grover said. "Eating some food is a good way to get your metabolism going in the morning, especially if you don't like to work out that time of day. After that, you want to have something about every three hours."
A key component of Jordan's nutrition program is the fitness shake. Grover mixes a combination of Gatorade, protein powders and fruits (when a blender is available) that appeals to Jordan's palate and contain the vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins and even some fats necessary to hit the big shots and shut down opponents on the defensive end of the court.
"When people hear `five or six meals a day,' the first reaction is usually, `How will I find the time?' " Grover said. "We have developed a routine with the shakes that allows Michael to get his nutrients before or after practice or even on the golf course. You don't necessarily have to eat five meals as much as replenish your body five times a day."
Jordan drinks plenty of fluids (mostly Gatorade or water) to avoid dehydration. He also includes a mix of carbohydrates and proteins at each meal while avoiding fatty foods, though he doesn't use an exact formula.
"Exercising can be the easy part, whether it's lifting weights, running on a treadmill or playing basketball," Grover said. "Proper nutrition is often the harder proposition."
THE MENU AT MICHAEL'S
As the Bulls get ready to start training camp, let's look at a typical day's menu for the Chicago superstar:
Breakfast: Large bowl of oatmeal with strawberries, blueberries and raisins; scrambled egg whites; glass of orange juice.
Midmorning: Fitness shake of Gatorade, protein powder and fresh fruit
Lunch: Chicken breast sandwich or lean hamburger; pasta or baked potato; small green salad.
Midafternoon: fitness shake or, on game days, precompetition meal of chicken breast or lean steak, pasta or baked potato, steamed fresh vegetables
Dinner: "Whatever he wants," said Tim Grover, Jordan's trainer.
Source: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1996-10-02/entertainment/9610020035_1_tim-grover-eats-nutrition
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