Revealed: Tyson Fury’s High-Calorie Diet During Fight Prep

The Gypsy King gets through £1,364 worth of food a month. With Tyson Fury’s recent retirement announcement, one key to his success was his nutrition. But what did the former world heavyweight champion eat in the lead-up to his fights?

New research from Net World Sports compared the meal plans of top athletes uncovering everything from caloric intake to macronutrient distribution.

Tyson Fury’s diet was reconstructed based on interviews given by Fury in the lead-up to bouts. You can view the reconstructed Heavyweight Boxer diet below:

Key Findings: 

• Fury eats his way through £45 worth of food each day which equates to £1,364 a month.
• Carbs make up a key part of his diet, as Fury consumes 638g daily, which would be the same as eating 17 medium-sized jacket potatoes daily.
• The Gyspy King also eats a lot of fat in the build up to the fight, in facts he eats the equivalent of 11 avocadoes a day (266g)

Jacket potato carbohydrate data:  

Avocado fat data: 

You can read more info about the macronutrient breakdown below or on the complete campaign page here: 

Fuelling Greatness: Inside the Extreme Diets of World-Class Athletes

• Michael Phelps would consume up to 11,042 calories during competitions the most calorific meal plan in the study 
• Lasha Talakhadze’s meal plan is estimated to contain 8,302 calories, with a high focus on protein content, over 535 grams of protein in a single day 
• Tyson Fury’s diet had the highest proportion of fat content, with over 266 grams of fat per day 
• Eliud Kipchoge’s daily intake before a race was just 3,077 calories – close to the average male intake – yet 66% of his macronutrient intake consist of carbohydrates, the highest proportion in the study 

Elite athletes undergo rigorous training to reach their peak performance during competition periods and nutrition plays a crucial role in their success.  

Each athlete’s diet is carefully designed to support specific fitness goals such as recovery, muscle building, or energy conservation. But how do these nutritional requirements vary across different sports? 

To find out, Net World Sports reconstructed the meal plans of elite athletes from four distinct sports: swimming, heavyweight boxing, weightlifting and marathon running. These diets were based on interviews given by athletes during competition periods and validated by NASM-qualified sports nutritionist, Daniel Harman, to provide an in-depth look at calorie intake, macronutrient distribution of each meal plan. 

The Macronutrient Breakdown of Professional Athletes Meal Plans 

 Athletes analysed include Michael Phelps, Lasha Talakhadze, Tyson Fury and Eliud Kipchog. Each diet was analysed to reveal the how the nutritional values differ between the respective diets. 

Michael Phelps had the most calorific diet in the study, consuming 11,042 calories per day spread across six meals. During competition time Phelps would consume up to 341% above the recommended calorie intake for the average adult male (2,500 calories) to compensate for calories burned during training.  

Weightlifter, Lasha Talakhadze, has the highest protein intake in his diet, with over 535 grams of protein. This substantial protein consumption reflects the nutritional demands for a weightlifter, with a diet designed for muscle growth and recovery. 

Tyson Fury’s reconstructed meal plan, while similar to Talakhadze’s in terms of nutrient intake, has a higher proportion of fat, with 266 grams of fat each day. This fat-heavy split provides a dense energy source, vital for prolonged bouts lasting multiple rounds as required in heavyweight boxing. 

Eliud Kipchoge has the leanest diet at 3,077 calories, which is close to the average intake for a typical adult male. However, his diet is highly carbohydrate-focused, with 66% of his daily intake (436.9 grams) coming from carbs. 

The Cost of Eating like a champion 

Eating like an elite athlete comes at a hefty price tag. After cross-referencing items on each meal plan with figures from the consumer price index, it was revealed that trying to replicate a professional athlete’s diet could cost as much as £1,380.60 each month.  

• Lasha Talakhadze’s diet tops the chart at £1,380.60 per month 
• Michael Phelps’ diet would set you back £1,150.80 per month 
• Tyson Fury’s meal plan costs £1,364.40 per month 
• Eliud Kipchoge’s diet is the most affordable at £249.00 per month 

You can view a detailed breakdown of the reconstructed meal plans and nutritional values of each athlete, on:  

Roberto Villa is the CEO, Founder, Executive Writer, Senior Editor of FightBook MMA. Has a passion for Combat Sports and also a podcast host for Sitting Ringside. He’s also a former MMA fighter and Kickboxer.