What Olympians eat

What Olympians eat

Author: BBC World Service July 25, 2024 Duration: 28:10

Three million bananas; 600-800 baguettes a day; 47,000 plates...as the world’s elite sportsmen and women arrive in Paris, a huge catering operation awaits them.

Ruth Alexander finds out what it takes to keep the athletes happy and fuel a medal-winning performance.

Team GB pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw talks about her relationship with food during her years as an athlete, and why she’s looking forward to retirement after Paris 2024.

Alicia Glass, senior dietician for Team USA, gives an insight in to how a peanut butter and jelly sandwich at the right time can make a big difference.

Reporter Michael Kaloki in Nairobi drops in on Kenya’s sprinters while they’re having lunch to find out what’s on their plates.

And the head of catering for the London 2012 Games Jan Matthews offers advice for the team in Paris this year on how to keep athletes who need a lot of fuel happy.

This programme includes conversations about losing and gaining weight, goal weights and difficult relationships with food that some listeners might find upsetting.

If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: thefoodchain@bbc.co.uk

Presenter: Ruth Alexander

Producers: Hannah Bewley, Elisabeth Mahy and Michael Kaloki

(Image: Holly Bradshaw, Team GB pole vaulter, wins bronze at Tokyo 2020. Credit: Reuters)


There’s a story behind every meal, and The Food Chain from the BBC World Service goes out to find it. This isn’t just a series about recipes or restaurant reviews; it’s a deep and often surprising exploration of how food shapes our world. Each episode follows a single thread, whether it’s the economic forces that decide what grows in a field, the hidden science in your kitchen, or the profound cultural traditions carried in a family dish. You’ll hear from farmers, chefs, economists, historians, and scientists, all contributing pieces to a larger picture about our global relationship with what we eat. The conversations reveal the complex journey from source to table, unpacking the labor, innovation, and sometimes the controversy, involved in feeding communities. Tuning into this podcast feels like joining a well-reported global conversation, one that changes how you think about the next thing you’ll eat. It connects the personal act of eating to vast systems of business, culture, and science, making the everyday subject of food endlessly fascinating.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

The Food Chain
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