Running News Daily

Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu shares her secret weapon for athletic excellence

Olympic legend Christine Ohuruogu has attributed her athletic success and gold medal glory to a diet rich in meat and dairy. The track icon celebrated her unique pre-race routine with a glass of milk, singing praises of its role in her dietary plan.

Ohuruogu discussed the importance of milk in her diet, particularly for its natural calcium, which she found essential. The MBE awardee said: "As an athlete, I needed healthy bones, muscles, and nerves - but also something which gives me that spark of energy."

She lauded British milk for being packed with crucial nutrients, saying: "British milk contains essential nutrients like calcium that is important for bone health, as well as protein which supports muscle growth, making it ideal for performance."

Advocating for natural food sources over supplements, she continued: "Milk is often overlooked - and people tend to reach for supplements, but I believe in a natural diet and keeping it clean and simple."

Ohuruogu made these remarks while backing the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board's (AHDB) campaign to promote the link between sporting achievements and the intake of British dairy and red meat.

In a bold campaign gesture, Ohuruogu has been portrayed in full gold alongside four rising Team GB stars.

It comes as Brits who hit the gym three times a week are increasingly opting for milk, chosen by 39% as a vitamin-rich option, over nutritional supplements at 36%.

Vwaire Obukohwo, Team GB's rowing sensation and face of AHDB's latest campaign, has opened up about her own dietary journey, saying: "Before starting sport I restricted meat and dairy from my diet."

She revealed the struggle that followed: "As I became more competitive, I struggled not having enough energy to complete training and improve my performance."

"Talks with doctors and nutritionists uncovered that I had multiple deficiencies and lacked enough protein to keep up with the high training demands."

She decided: "I could either take supplements - which come with risks of cross contamination with banned substances, can have poor bio availability and are more expensive - or change my diet."

Ultimately, she found success by adjusting her intake: "It was best to re-introduce meat and dairy into my diet which gave me the nutrition I needed to flourish and excel as a high-performance athlete."

AHDB's lead nutritionist Kate Arthur also weighed in on the benefits of dairy, stating: "Milk is naturally rich in high-quality protein, making it an affordable alternative to supplementary protein powders and shakes."

She highlighted its importance for athletes: "Protein supports the growth and maintenance of muscles. It also contains potassium, which helps muscles to work normally."