Chips, crackers and large pizza: what does Alexander Ovechkin eat while keeping in shape?

Chips, crackers and large pizza: what does Alexander Ovechkin eat while keeping in shape?

The diet of one of the best NHL forwards can hardly be called healthy.

Most professional athletes strictly monitor nutrition and adhere to balanced and carefully calibrated by experts diets. Some occasionally make indulgences and allow themselves to eat a burger or pizza. But the legend of world hockey and one of the best players in the National Hockey League, Alexander Ovechkin, it seems, is not worried about it at all.

Hockey player has repeatedly admitted that he is a big fan of pizza, and in his grocery basket are often chips, crackers and other harmful things. What else is in Ovechkin’s diet and why doesn’t he gain weight?

Dense lunch before the match and unhealthy snacks

Players on many sports teams – both hockey and soccer – have a real carbohydrate binge before or after the game: they order a very caloric meal to make up for the energy expenditure during the match. The current captain of the Washington Capitals also adheres to this approach. Before each game, Alexander eats a hearty lunch. A large portion of hearty pasta “Mama Lucia” with two chicken breasts from the restaurant of the same name and cheese pizza have become his traditional meal.

The Italian restaurant where Ovechkin orders his pre-game meal from even has a special dish called Ovi’s Special. It includes an impressive portion of pasta served with four different sauces, a basket of bread, a salad and a large cheese pizza.
The hockey player also likes to indulge in unhealthy snacks and a can or two of beer. This can be seen in the video, which the wife of the Russian sniper Anastasia posted in storiz in “instagram”. The couple went shopping together and their grocery basket contained chips, crackers, eight bottles of beer and ice cream for dessert, among other things.

The record was published on the RMNB blog, which covers news from the life of the Washington Capitals. Ovechkin’s fans rejoiced for the idol and for themselves. “Now I have an excuse to eat this. Thanks, Ovi!” – wrote one user under the post with the video on Twitter.

Russian food and lots of pizza

The hockey player’s taste preferences are not limited to hearty Italian dishes and unhealthy snacks. Although the NHL forward hasn’t lived in Russia for a long time, he remembers and loves the cuisine of his homeland. In interviews, Ovechkin has repeatedly admitted that he loves to eat Russian dishes. Some of his favorites are borscht and buckwheat with cutlets. Alexander even has a favorite restaurant of Russian cuisine in New York.

The Washington Capitals forward’s love for pizza is so great that the American company Papa John’s even signed a contract with him. And for a while, you could order a set of Ovechkin’s Wish of two pizzas in the US.

Ovechkin probably undergoes regular medical examinations, and his health is monitored by club doctors and nutritionists. However, this does not prevent the hockey player from fully enjoying the goodies. Moreover, such deviations from proper nutrition obviously have little effect on his form.

The fact is that hockey is an extremely energy-consuming sport, and even the number of calories in such a hearty meal, such as creamy pasta, pizza and chips, does not compare to the amount of energy expended during the match. Therefore, no matter how many unhealthy things the captain of the “capital” allows himself, it is unlikely to affect his figure. The rest of us can only envy and watch our diet.