The first topic I broached with the athletes is whether they have a specific number of calories they try to consume each day. Some do, some don’t, but for those who do, the numbers are off the charts.
“I burn a lot of calories, so I eat about 6,000 calories a day,” says Fiebig. “If other athletes ate that, they would look a little bit too bulky, but I’m heavy.”
“It’s all about balancing it right. If you don’t eat enough throughout the week but you still have the high-intensity [of training] you can get sick or you can get injured.”
To maintain muscle mass, Fiebig’s diet is “packed with protein”. He also crams in carbs in the evening, to ensure he’s got enough energy for the next day’s training.
He also ups his daily calorie intake during competitions to support any extra expenditure. “In competition, I just want to gain weight throughout. That’s my goal, always,” he says.