As he prepared to chase Olympic glory, swimmer Michael Phelps held to an amazing daily ritual. Each morning, he sat down to a training table breakfast that staggers belief: three fried egg sandwiches garnished with mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomato and onion; an omelet; a bowl of grits; three slices of French toast topped with powdered sugar; and three chocolate chip pancakes just to fill in the empty corners.

Phelps reportedly consumes a whopping 6,000 to 8,000 calories a day when he's swimming those endless laps that have made him a champion. As monstrous as that breakfast menu appears, it's a good foundation for a competitive athlete - high in protein and loaded with the fat and carbohydrates needed to propel Phelps' lanky, muscular body through the water during his grueling training regimen.

Today, the science of nutrition has become a key component of all athletic training. But even for those of us who aren't preparing for the Olympics, our daily lives are regulated by nutritional information. As the saying goes, we are what we eat - and now we can understand why.