More protein than a bodybuilder: this is what Pogacar eats in a day during the Tour

As the vast majority of you know, proteins are an essential element in a cyclist's nutrition when it comes to recovering from the grueling efforts of competition or the most demanding training sessions. However, few of us are aware of the amounts a professional cyclist must consume to cope with the brutal wear and tear of a queen stage in the Tour de France.

6,000 calories throughout the day of the queen stage of the Tour de France 2025

The nutrition company Enervit and Velon, a regular supplier of interesting data about what happens in cycling races, have released information about Tadej Pogacar's nutrition during the day of July 24, 2025, the day the Tour de France faced the monstrous alpine stage finishing at the Col de la Loze.

On a day when Tadej Pogacar, among all his meals, consumed the staggering amount of 6,000 calories, the vast majority of which were consumed after the race, the most important part in a stage race since a good recovery from one day to the next depends on the ability to perform at maximum capacity in all of them and to achieve the coveted yellow jersey.

RECOMENDADO

Benefits of training in the cold

There will be a Porsche engine in 2026, but no e-bikes from the brand

A 2026 edition of La Vuelta a España with an Andalusian flavor is presented

This is how it is decided which teams will be in the MTB World Cup 2026

This SCOTT Spark RC is the most extreme gravel bike ever conceived

Zwift teaches you how to draft and what benefits it has

However, one striking fact about this nutrient intake is the large amount of protein present in his menu, no less than 600 grams of protein, which, with the estimated weight of around 67 kg for a fit Tadej Pogacar, amounts to a tremendous 2.2 g/kg, practically the same amount of protein per kilogram of body weight that a bodybuilder usually consumes, far exceeding the mere 0.8 g/kg recommended for the general population.

As could not be otherwise, 150 of those 600 g of protein are consumed after the stage, divided between the usual protein shake after crossing the finish line and dinner, when recovery is essential. However, it is also noteworthy that 120 grams of this macronutrient are consumed during the course of the stage.

Of course, carbohydrates are vital as the main source of energy. A total of 1,200 grams of this nutrient, with great attention to breakfast but also to the stage and post-stage. Specifically, during the stage, he consumed 460 g of carbohydrates, which means that, over the 5 hours that it lasted, Tadej Pogacar ingested an average of 92 g/h of carbohydrates, a figure that seems conservative when we hear about endurance athletes who manage to consume up to 120 g/h.

However, although Velon has not provided the breakdown of what he consumed exactly during the stage, it is likely that he did consume those 120 g per hour during the entire first part of the stage to reduce carbohydrate intake in the final part, when the intensity is at its maximum, thus avoiding any possibility of suffering gastrointestinal issues that could ruin the race. In fact, in one-day events, Tadej Pogacar has consumed those 120 g/h that the world of sports nutrition marks as a goal today for an elite athlete.

Regarding fats, they remain at extremely low levels, 10% of the total intake for that day compared to the 25% usually recommended in a conventional balanced diet. However, this is merely circumstantial due to the enormous intake of carbohydrates and proteins necessary to ensure performance, and in fact, the gross amount of fats ingested, 66 g, is quite considerable, and currently, no cyclist goes without the necessary amount of this nutrient, always choosing healthy options to ensure the proper functioning of the body.