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Olympic hero Christine Ohuruogu has credited her athletic prowess and gold medal triumph to incorporating meat and dairy into her diet.
The celebrated track star toasted her unique pre-competition ritual with a glass of milk, extolling its virtues as part of her nutritional regime.
Discussing the benefits, Ohuruogu highlighted how milk became a key component in her diet for its natural calcium content.
Ohuruogu MBE remarked: “As an athlete, I needed healthy bones, muscles, and nerves – but also something which gives me that spark of energy.”
She further praised British milk in particular, for its vital nutrients, stating: “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.”
Championing the natural over the artificial, she added: “Milk is often overlooked – and people tend to reach for supplements, but I believe in a natural diet and keeping it clean and simple.”
The athletics champion made these comments while supporting the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board’s (AHDB) initiative to showcase the connection between sporting success and the consumption of British dairy and red meat.
In a striking campaign move, Ohuruogu has been depicted entirely in gold alongside four up-and-coming Team GB hopefuls.
It comes as Brits who average working out three times a week are increasingly turning to 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 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 had two options: I could either take supplements – which come with risks of cross contamination with banned substances, can have poor bioavailability 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.”
She also added: “It’s naturally rich in calcium, which helps the maintenance of normal bones, which is really important when playing active sports.
“Milk provides the vitamin B12, too, a nutrient which releases energy from food and helps us feel less tired.
“Better still, all these nutrients in milk are naturally packaged together in a unique way that means they work together, and our bodies are able to get the absolute best from them.”
“For anyone looking to achieve a healthier more active lifestyle, my recommendation is to enjoy a varied and healthy balanced diet to give yourself the best possible chance of achieving adequate nutrient intake, and not missing out on those important vitamins and minerals that support us when staying active.”
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