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http://www.iaaf.org/news/feature/tyson- ... ter-times-
I'm often amazed when you uncover the details of top athletes how even the most sensible won't always engage in something like basic healthy nutrition. I'm taken back to British Cycling's success often being based upon the idea of 'aggregation of marginal gains', every small factor in sport is gain or a negative and they build up. I'm sure eating McD's 3 times a week, sometimes more than once a day had a significant impact of Gays ability to train, recover, avoid injury, heal-up etc. It's great he is seemingly in top form and training better than ever but there is an element that wonders if he could have been a closer challenger to Bolt or even been on the Olympic podium as an individual had he taken his nutrition and training techniques in a more sensible way?
Another change Gay has made this year has been to his diet.
“In November, I had my blood work done and spoke to my nutritionist and learned that I was predisposed to diabetes,” said Gay. “It was a wake-up call. Diabetes runs on my mom’s side of the family. My dad was diagnosed with diabetes last year. Right around the time of the Olympics, he was rushed to the hospital after feeling light-headed. So it runs in the family, and that’s what’s scary.”
Gay admitted that his eating habits since 2004 had been far from healthy.
“I ate fast-food all the time. There are seven days in a week and I would eat at McDonald’s three times a week, at least.
“There were times I would go twice a day. It’s always because it’s just quick, and when you’re young and burning it off you don’t think much of it; but it can catch up to you. It took me 30 years to find that out. It’s nothing to play with.”
He has now cut fast-food out of his diet and is looking into hiring a chef to cook him healthy meals for the week to keep his diet on the straight and narrow.
Gay said he already feels better and has seen positive changes in his recovery from workouts.
“In November, I had my blood work done and spoke to my nutritionist and learned that I was predisposed to diabetes,” said Gay. “It was a wake-up call. Diabetes runs on my mom’s side of the family. My dad was diagnosed with diabetes last year. Right around the time of the Olympics, he was rushed to the hospital after feeling light-headed. So it runs in the family, and that’s what’s scary.”
Gay admitted that his eating habits since 2004 had been far from healthy.
“I ate fast-food all the time. There are seven days in a week and I would eat at McDonald’s three times a week, at least.
“There were times I would go twice a day. It’s always because it’s just quick, and when you’re young and burning it off you don’t think much of it; but it can catch up to you. It took me 30 years to find that out. It’s nothing to play with.”
He has now cut fast-food out of his diet and is looking into hiring a chef to cook him healthy meals for the week to keep his diet on the straight and narrow.
Gay said he already feels better and has seen positive changes in his recovery from workouts.
Athletes are human and need their treats. 
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