What Do Shot Putters Eat? A Dozen Eggs, A Pound of Red Meat, & 4,500 to 5,500 Calories a Day According to Joe Kovacs
By LetsRun.com
January 25, 2019
NEW YORK — World champion and Olympic silver medallist shot putter Joe Kovacs will compete at the famed Armory in New York City for the first time Saturday at the 2019 Dr. Sander Invitational, where he will be tuning up for his showdown with Olympic champion Ryan Crouser at the Millrose Games in two weeks.
However, Kovacs already has fond memories of New York City, as he proposed to his wife, Ohio State coach Ashley Muffet, last Valentine’s Day on Gapstow Bridge in Central Park and they got married this past April.
Kovacs via his @joekovacsusa Instagram
When asked about the secrets to a happy marriage, he credited Ashley’s cooking. “The secret to a happy marriage is her cooking. When you start the day off like that, life is good. ”
As for a shot putters diet, the absolute volume of what they eat may astound the lay observer.
“A dozen eggs is probably a normal morning for a shot putter,” Kovacs said. That’s a dozen eggs, plus the “chef’s choice”of something else like bacon, some kind of toast, or avocado. “With a shot putter you’ve got to be big and you’ve got to be strong and that’s what it’s all about,” he said.
If you think Kovacs does the majority of his eating in the morning, think again. “Dinner is [the] real meal and it depends on how the training is going.”
If he’s doing heavy squatting and benching, he eats at least a pound of red meat and throws in some salmon or fish to get some good fats. Fueling is very important for Kovacs. “A shot putter’s job doesn’t end when you leave the track. You’ve got to keep on the nutrition, keep the calories coming in,” he said.
There is one downside for Kovacs being in New York: the food prices. “Here in New York City, when you add an extra egg to an omelette it comes with a hefty price tag,” he noted.
Hopefully if you add nine eggs to your omelet you get some sort of discount.
Kovacs on his diet
Kovacs on his calories
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Kovacs says his Instagram account is like a cooking show each and every day.