20 eggs a day: The extreme, unapologetic diet of Vietnamese sports legends

Bodybuilder Ly Duc: 20 eggs, 2.5kg of chicken breast a day

Appearing on a TV show on March 16, the former bodybulding star Ly Duc revealed that during his peak competition years, he ate about 20 eggs and 2.5 kg of chicken breast daily. Additionally, the bodybuilding icon consumed around 300 g of beef, 1 kg of apples, 2 kg of bananas, 1 to 2 liters of fresh milk with butter, and 80 to 100 g of yogurt. His total water intake averaged 4-5 liters a day.

Ly Duc had six to seven meals a day, with each meal only 2-3 hours apart. He confessed that it took him about two years to get used to this intense diet.

Bodybuilder Ly Duc in his prime. Photo courtesy of Ly Duc

Ly Duc is a Vietnamese bodybuilding legend. He won the Asian bodybuilding gold medal for seven consecutive years (1997-2003), four Southeast Asian gold medals and gold at the 2002 Asian Games and the 2003 SEA Games.

At 59, he still maintains his health by exercising regularly and lifting weights with light intensity for about an hour a day. He currently weighs about 86 kg, which is similar to his competition weight but now maintains a reduced diet, about 1/10 of his peak years.

Bodybuilder Pham Van Mach: "seven no" principle

Pham Van Mach eats seven meals a day, including four main and three snack meals, with the main ones spaced 2-3 hours apart. His daily diet includes 0.5 kg of chicken breast, 1 kg of beef, 10 egg whites, vegetables, fruits, 250 g of protein powder and several liters of milk.

He follows the "seven no" principle: no sour, no spicy, no sweet, no salty, no fat, no beer, no alcohol and no cigarettes. Pham Van Mach admits that eating bland food, especially without salt, can feel like "torture" for bodybuilders due to the reduced resistance, fatigue and muscle pain.

Bodybulder Pham Van Mach during a competition. Photo courtesy of Pham Van Mach

Born in 1976, Pham Van Mach is Vietnam's most accomplished bodybuilder with six world gold medals, eight Asian championships and four SEA Games gold medals.

At 49, he is still actively competing, having won the 2023 world championship in the 55 kg category.

Swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien: 1 kg of beef and 50 shrimps for each meal

During her competitive years, swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien followed an extreme diet to meet the needs of her intense training.

Each of her main meal included at least 1 kg of beef, 50 shrimps, a large plate of noodles, 1 liter of whole milk, mixed vegetables and fruits. This diet, tailored by an American expert, was designed to fuel her body for training that burned around 12,000 calories per day.

Nguyen Thi Anh Vien during a competition. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Dong

Anh Vien, born in 1996, is the most successful swimmer in Vietnam's history. She accumulated 25 SEA Games medals, two Asian Games bronze medals and a youth Olympic gold medal. She is the only Vietnamese swimmer to participate in three consecutive Olympics (2012, 2016, 2020).

After retiring from the national team in 2021, Anh Vien is now a teacher at the swimming club named after her in Ho Chi Minh City.

She once described how difficult the diet was, recalling that it felt like torture at first, with her stomach feeling like it was about to explode. Despite the challenges, Anh Vien powered through, often eating meals right at the edge of the pool during training.