SAM DORMAN WATCHES what he eats. In fact, when the 25-year-old diver received a total nutrition breakdown from University of Miami director of exercise physiology Wesley Smith a few weeks ago, he was told that, overall, he does a nice job.
Except after workouts. "That's what I was bad at," says Dorman.
Dorman, who will attempt to qualify for both the individual and synchronized three-meter springboards in the Rio Games at the U.S. trials this June in Indianapolis, used to wait a few hours after his workout before chowing down. Now he grabs a protein bar and a Gatorade right away.
Eating healthy is a necessity for Dorman, the ACC 2015 men's diver of the year at Miami and a member of the U.S. team in '14, but it's not hard. "It's a lifestyle I enjoy," says Dorman. "I enjoy eating healthy. Not even for sports, but for general health." Of course, he does still make the occasional late-night run for a pint of Ben & Jerry's half-baked ice cream.
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Smoothies
Most mornings Dorman will make a vitamin-packed smoothie with more green vegetables than most kids eat in a year. He blends spinach, kale and bok choy, along with a mix of berries, chia powder and almond milk. After his meeting with the nutritionist, he now adds almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts, whose nutrients he was found to be lacking. "I drink it throughout the day," says Dorman.
Eggs
Dorman loves to cook, and his specialty is eggs. While he mostly keeps it healthy—scrambling them with spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and garlic—he also likes to let loose with his guilty pleasure: eggs Benedict. "I cooked that on Easter," says Dorman, "and man, I nailed it." Dorman will often eat eggs for breakfast along with a smoothie, usually with a piece of avocado on top, and an English muffin with peanut butter on the side. He'll down this about an hour before he goes to the pool so he's energized for his grueling workouts.
Fish and Greens
After a grocery run, Dorman puts his cooking skills to the test. Salmon, a staple in his apartment, usually goes directly into a teriyaki marinade. He'll also make asparagus, his favorite vegetable. "I'll put salt, pepper, lime and garlic powder on it," he says. He doesn't adhere to a specified diet but uses guidelines designed to keep him at his best. No one forces him to eat healthy, Dorman says, "but I try."
PHOTO
JEFFERY A. SALTER FOR SPORTS ILLUSTRATED (DORMAN)
THREE ILLUSTRATIONS
MARTIN LAKSMAN (ILLUSTRATIONS)
