So what makes Michael Phelps special? Here is the deal:
Height and Weight He’s 6’4″ and only 195 lbs. with way below average body fat. Mark Spitz, by comparison is a mere 6’1″.
Tatts On right hip a tattoo of Olympic rings, one left M for the University of Michigan.
Wingspan and Heart Rate His arms extend 79 inches – 3 inches more than his height – giving him leverage. When swimming, his heart pumps about 8 gallons of blood a minute – over three times the human average of around 2.6 gallons.
Giant Feet He is a size 14, and his double-jointed ankles turn those dogs into flippers.
Torso and Legs He has got short legs (like a man who is 6′) and a long torso (like someone who is 6’8â€), which decrease resistance – and make it hard to buy pants.
Knees Double-jointed knees, ankles and elbows allow him to hyperextend his limbs, strengthening his dolphin kick and increasing his reach, making his strokes more powerful.
Michael Phelps’ diet (sample 1) “I eat whatever I can get my hands on,” says Phelps, who devours nearly give times as much food as the average man – or up to 12,000 calories a day during training – to keep up his weight. Here is a typical Phelps breakfast:
Two BLT’s with mayo, cheese. Two fried eggs and French toast. Bowl of grits. Five-egg Western omelet, home fries and toast. Three large chocolate-chip pancakes with syrup.
Total Calories: 3,000 cals.
Michael Phelps’ diet (sample 2) Phelps burns 4,000 calories each time he works out, so he needs an astounding amount of food to fuel his body.
Breakfast: Three fried egg sandwiches with cheese, lettuce, tomato, fried onions and mayonnaise. One five-egg omelet. A bowl of grits. Three slices of French toast with powdered sugar. Three chocolate-chip pancakes.
Lunch: Two ham-and-cheese sandwiches with mayo. One pound of enriched pasta. Energy drinks (1,000) calories.
Dinner: One pound of enriched pasta. Energy drinks (1,000) calories. One large pizza. [sources: People, In Touch]