Team Sanya, in the Volvo Ocean Race

FEELING PECKISH ANYONE?!
Read Andres fascinating blog on food consumption
Friday 16th December 2011

Since taking this job, the word ‘crazy’ seems to come up every time someone new comes to learn what we do as competitors in the Volvo Ocean Race. One of the more common questions or subjects rather that people find most intriguing is on our nutrition onboard. People are amazed by what we eat, how much, and how often. When the boys are on deck pushing the limit, 110% concentration is required and because their bodies work to keep them warm, focused and alert, they consume quite a bit of energy. Also having to wake up after only 4 hours of sleep takes up quite a bit of your bodies reserve as well. On average, each person onboard will burn close to 6000 calories a day. As most of you can probably guess its pretty hard for the average person to consume that much food in a day, so I thought I’d take you through a typical day of eating on board the mighty SANYA LAN.

At around midnight I open the ‘day bag’. This bag contains the three main meals for the day as well as snacks and other miscellaneous items. I dish out everyone’s personal snacks as well as the communal ones. Every crew member gets two bars, Typically a protein bar of sorts with anywhere from 10-20g of protein, and some sort of fruit and nut bar. In the communal pouch, we have three packets of beef jerky, some mixed fruit and nut packs and, if needed, a few GU energy gels. I also make sure that both the electrolyte and protein powder dispensers are full.

At around 0545 I prepare breakfast, which is either freeze dried yogurt and muesli, or granola with milk and blueberries, which is definitely the boat’s favourite. At 1145 Lunch is prepared and is the first hot meal of the day. Today’s lunch I believe is chili con carne, looking forward to that! Dinner comes in at 1945 and is usually when all the boat favorites get eaten. Some of those are, but are not limited too, Beef Stroganoff, Mexican Chicken, any meal with Mash potatoes, and pasta primavera, just to name a few!!

In between meals the boys can have protein shakes, and if they are really hungry a cup of instant soup or noodles. Protein is pretty essential onboard because it’s where the bodies go to source their energy and if you don’t get enough, your body will start to consume your muscles as they are the greatest store of protein. We carry enough protein for everyone on board to have three protein shakes a day.

After eating all of this, it is still typical to loose weight on a leg; this is a combination of general water weight loss, fat loss and even some muscle loss. We are all weighed before and after each leg so that we can better monitor and measure how our body reacts to being out at sea for 20 days at a time.

Got to go, off to make a protein shake for Aksel Magdahl our navigator, got to keep him happy!

Zai jian,

andrés