For most strength athletes, calorie consumption is a critically important, enjoyable, earned reward which complements training. For dedicated weightlifters, the rate of energy expenditure during training is high and a hard training session may be followed up by a race to the refrigerator to enhance recovery through calorie consumption. In an age of online diet gurus and an infinite number of social media experts, it can be difficult to locate a scientifically backed nutrition program to help you improve your weightlifting performance and recovery while allowing you to consistently achieve your weight class goals without performance deficits. Part of that is due to information saturation and part is due to a low number of dedicated research studies on the subject. So what nutrition research is available specifically for Olympic weightlifters?
 
Historical Review
 
Illustrations from ancient Egypt >4000 years ago indicate weightlifting and strength movements were a prominent cultural element. Similarly, ancient Greece, China, and Norwegian countries all appear to have their own unique strength and weightlifting metrics carved into their history. Historical information relating to sports nutrition includes a great multitude of anecdotes such as Milo of Croton is was a legendary strength athlete said to have consumed 20lbs of meat, 20lbs of bread, and 18pints of wine daily which equates to >50,000kcal/day which may have been distorted or exaggerated over time. Additionally, the field of sport nutrition is in its relative infancy as the first studies in sport nutrition were not recorded until the 1930s.
 
The beginnings of what may be considered ‘modern’ weightlifting are evident in the mid-1800s, especially in European countries, including Austria and Germany. The first World Weightlifting Championships were held in London in 1891. Weightlifting first appeared in the Olympics in 1896 as a Track & Field event. Weightlifting spread to the United States and became popular in the early to mid-1900s. The United States was a world leader in weightlifting between 1930s and 1960s, producing several world and Olympic champions.
 
The history of weightlifting is fascinating, covering a broad swath of human history. Relative to the LARGE number of studies on physical performance/training and anthropometrics of weightlifters, there are fewer references that can be specifically used to guide Olympic weightlifters in their nutrition.
 
Proper nutrition contributes several advantages in performance, recovery, and injury prevention. Relevant governing bodies such as USA Weightlifting (USAW) provide foundational sport nutrition information contained within TrueSportâ Nutrition Guide. The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) also provides some directed information for weightlifting athletes aimed at protein intake and nutrient timing. Additional information, related to nutrition for a broad range of strength sports including sprinting, throwing, bodybuilding, powerlifting, and weightlifting has been published by Slater and Phillips in 2011. Amidst a dynamic field of nutrition, it is important to review the research as it applies to dedicated Olympic weightlifting athletes whose nutrition and supplement needs differ from other sports.
 
Energy Needs
 
Weight class distinctions in the sport impact many facets of practical individualized nutrition for weightlifters. Metabolic cost is remarkably high for weightlifting athletes during training sessions, considering each rep/lift duration is <1sec, where energy expenditure can be as high as 9-10kcal/min. Previous research suggests the energy required is similar to that of high-volume circuit-style resistance exercise or intense continuous endurance activity. Additionally it has been reported fat mobilization is elevated post weight-training such that it may provide a partial explanation for the leaner phenotype of Olympic weightlifters relative to athletes from other sports.
 
Olympic Weightlifting Athlete Physical Characteristics
 
As with all weight class strength sports, maximum accumulated lean body mass within the limits of a particular weight class limit is generally advantageous. The physical characteristics and somatoypes of Olympic weightlifters have been well-studied. Both female and male weightlifters generally seem to have elevated body density and lower body fat percentage which affords them more lean body mass within any given weight class ranking.
 

Table 1. Weightlifter Physical Characteristics and Body Composition Summary
Athlete	Body Mass (kg)	Height (cm)	% Fat	Lean Body Mass (kg)
Female Weightlifters	61.3 ± 11.5	161.6 ± 8.6	20.4 ± 3.9	49.0 ± 12.2
Male Weightlifters	84.9 – 89.1	171.0 – 173.5	10.1 – 12.4	74.1-80.1
Junior-Age Male Weightlifters	62.3 - 67.3	162.6 - 167.6	6.1 - 10.3	63.7 – 55.0

Approximate ranges provided in table based upon research publications by Katch et al. 1980, Fry et al. 2006, and Stoessel et al. 1991.  
 
Habitual/Training Nutrition
 
Dietary records suggest that weightlifters overconsume protein and fat at the expense of adequate carbohydrate. Protein consumption ranges from 1.6-3.2g/kg/day compared with the 1.2-1.7g/kg/day recommendation for resistance training athletes. Fat intake levels are approximately 40 to 44 percent of daily energy intake, which is also well above the acceptable range for health and athletic performance 20 to 35 percent. These two are likely inter-related as the protein rich foods that are selected may also contain higher fat content. Consequently, carbohydrate intake, 2.9-6.1g/kg/day, is less than the current recommendations based upon training data the energy cost would indicate that these athletes should be consuming 7-8g/kg/day. A visual representation of macronutrient distribution based upon relative gram intake per unit body mass is provided [Figure 1].
 
Competition Nutrition:
Nutrition for competition is aimed at replenishing and re-fueling after achieving success a specified/target weight class. While in other sports the metabolic demands may be more evenly distributed across energy systems, the demands for weightlifters during competition are more focused and less affected by acute weight loss.
 
After weigh-in, the primary goal is replenishment and fuel for competition which can last as long as two to four hours, yet total activity including warmups may only include a few minutes of work. To do so, it is recommended Olympic weightlifting athletes hydrate (5-10ml/kg), and focus on consuming a balanced meal less likely to cause gastrointestinal upset including 1.5g/kg carbohydrate, 20-50g protein, and 5-10g fat.
 
Some athletes choose to stimulate with caffeine as well, but when doing so the effects generally are waning after the opening lift, after which the competition environment and adrenaline should be sufficient to maintain energy levels and focus. Unlike powerlifting competition, the heightened technical requirements of Olympic lifting place limitations on the planned pre-competition “pig-out.” Rather, the primary goal is of competition nutrition surrounding nutrition for Olympic weightlifting is to avoid any distractions in your physiology (digestion) or psychology (jitters) from poor food selection and/or over-consumption of food or caffeine.
 
Supplements
 
Supplement use is high among athletes, including Olympic weightlifters. The most popular supplements that strength-trained and power athletes use include multi-vitamins, protein, specific amino acids, caffeine and creatine. While consistency with nutrition and training are the foundation by which all athletes are built, select supplements warrant further discussion focused upon energy systems and metabolism specific to weightlifting.
 
Emerging Nutrition Focus
 
Recent research focus has shifted over the past three to five years toward evaluation of low carbohydrate or ketogenic diet paradigms for anaerobic athletes, including those that participate in resistance training and power sports. The large motivation for these investigations stems from the body composition and lean body mass advantages associated with low carbohydrate and ketogenic diets.
 
In one study by Vargas et al. 2018, 24 male participants were split into three diet groups and performed an eight-week resistance training program. There was a significant reduction in fat mass and visceral adipose tissue in the group that consumed a low carbohydrate, ketogenic diet, while other two groups which was not recorded for the other two diet groups. There were no changes in the control group in total body weight or lean body mass. The non-ketogenic diet group was provided additional protein (2g/kg/day) compared with the control and ketogenic diet participants, consequently body mass and muscle were increased. The keto diet might be an alternative dietary approach to decrease fat mass and visceral adipose tissue while maintaining lean body mass. It may not be as useful a dietary strategy for weight and lean mass gain.
 
There was an additional study published by Greene et al. 2018, where a single group of elite competitive lifting athletes consumed ad libitum “usual diet” (>250g carbohydrate/day) and an ad libitum low carbohydrate ketogenic diet (LCKD) for 3 months each. The group lost significantly more body mass. Performance was not impaired in LCKD athletes despite total body mass and lean mass decrease. LCKD may be considered to achieve targeted weight reduction goals for weight class sports.