mmm chocolate... I don't think any more reason than that is needed :)

Chocolate contains antioxidants and flavanols that are beneficial to the cardiovascular system, but on the other, it can contain fat and sugar (in the case of confectionary milk chocolate with high cocoa butter content). It also has a mild psychoactive effect that is pleasurable - probably a very desirable effect to offset potentially sleep-robbing crushing pre-race anxiety. Dark chocolate with low sugar added and mostly cocoa powder and cocoa liqueur and low cocoa butter is better for you.

maybe the man just likes chocolate, sometimes it's all mental

i read that he trains 35 hours a week. he could prob eat it every night with those workouts logged. he is one bamf.

Maybe he just really likes chocolate.

Things brings up something I was thinking about the other day - I know that caffine is sometimes considered a drug from a doping perspective. Is there an all-inclusive list of semi-common foods that you might normally eat but would otherwise trip a doping test? Purely just curiosity's sake to understand what these athletes have to go through.

The chocolate is probly just something he likes, and something he's been doing for a long time. Not unlike any number of pre-race routines any number of us goes through. If you watched Phelps he did exactly the same thing before every race. 2 ipod ear buds in until he gets on the deck. 1 ear bud in until they call his name, then he towels off the launch pad. 3 arm swings.

It's like Johnny Cash said... you get a rythm.

[quote=wirebook]Is there an all-inclusive list of semi-common foods that you might normally eat but would otherwise trip a doping test?[/quote]
No....they don't really need one. The chemicals that you'll get from food (caffiene from chocolate and coffee, opiates from poppy seeds) won't be at a high enough concentration to raise any questions. Artificial chemicals that are on the banned list will get you in trouble with even a trace found, but there are limits on things like caffiene so that you can still have up to a certain amount in your body and still be legal.

[quote=wrobis1]maybe the man just likes chocolate, sometimes it's all mental[/quote] +1, superstitious. If I see a dog in the starting area of a race (which is common), I have to pet it for good luck. So, far weimaraners are the only dog that ever let me down.

I'm with Kylie. I mean, seriously, do you really NEED a reason to eat chocolate? It's CHOCOLATE - of course it's good to eat it the night before a race...or the morning of...or at the finish line...or the next day...or.......

[quote=Tamara]I'm with Kylie. I mean, seriously, do you really NEED a reason to eat chocolate? It's CHOCOLATE - of course it's good to eat it the night before a race...or the morning of...or at the finish line...or the next day...or.......[/quote]

RIGHT NOW! :-D

Happy to help.

+100 Kylie... and guess what I just finished. About the same calories as a Cliff bar and much more yummy!

It's just chocolate! Don't analyze everything...!
P.S. I always eat a little chocolate the night before a race...just tradition...and damn it's good!

I too always eat chocolate the night before a race. And the night before that, and the night of the race, and... well... every night. And this is why I can't race with my shirt off. So sad :-)

Can't really imagine a day without a little chocolate... I took the GRE today and I deserve a lot of chocolate today :-)

[quote=skyrone]Thanks for all of the input. You people do love [s]talking[/s] [b]eating[/b] chocolate![/quote]

Fixed it for you... but you can have some chocolate for the good effort! ;)

It is chocolate.. Good anytime:)

Just like Chocolate GU? ;-)

Wow...he must be searching on the web for anything that mentions chocolate! But hey...times are tough!