Olympic Appetites: How 8 Top Athletes Eat to Win

Natalie Coughlin, 29, 11-time Olympic medalist, swimmer competing as part of the USA women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team

What will be your post-Olympics celebratory meal?
Bangers and mash.

What's it really like behind the scenes at the Olympics?
I don't think it's as exciting as people imagine. In reality you are resting quite a bit in your room. The rooms are kind of bare, so I bring photos to entertain myself during downtime. We

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Natalie Coughlin, 29, 11-time Olympic medalist, swimmer competing as part of the USA women's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team

What will be your post-Olympics celebratory meal?
Bangers and mash.

What's it really like behind the scenes at the Olympics?
I don't think it's as exciting as people imagine. In reality you are resting quite a bit in your room. The rooms are kind of bare, so I bring photos to entertain myself during downtime. We spend a lot of time in the cafeteria, which is good for people-watching and a good spot to meet athletes from all over the world. I describe is as something like a college campus but not as many parties and it's still cafeteria food.

We've heard your favorite way to unwind is with a post-workout mustard bath-why?
One of the things I always travel with is Dr. Singha's Mustard Bath. It opens up the pores with aromatic oils and pulls toxins from the skin. It doesn't smell of mustard at all, but peppermint.

You garden and raise chickens-why are those your passions?
Gardening is important to me because it allows me to grow a variety of fruits and vegetables that I can't otherwise get at the market. I have an entire bed dedicated for kale and another for herbs. It also saves me money at the grocery store.

Raising chickens is a lot easier than you would think. All they really need is shelter, some space to roam, food and water, and they give me a fresh supply of eggs constantly and provide excellent manure for my garden.

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