Bodybuilding legend Dorian Yates has completely transformed his approach to eating since his Mr. Olympia glory days.
The six-time champion once consumed a staggering 6,500 calories daily, forcing down meals every few hours to maintain his massive 300-pound frame.
Now in his 60s, he’s adopted an entirely different nutritional philosophy—one focused on longevity rather than muscle mass.
In a recent interview, Yates revealed the dramatic dietary shifts he’s made and the surprising lessons he learned about what truly supports optimal health.
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The Competitive Years: A Caloric Monster
During his competitive bodybuilding career in the ’80s and ’90s, Yates followed what was considered gospel at the time: frequent meals, sky-high protein, mountains of carbohydrates, and minimal fat.
Mr. Olympia days, competitive bodybuilding, frequent meals, so like six meals a day, not real big ones, but six, so it’s very consistent, every 2 and 1/2 3 hours, like high protein.
His daily macronutrient breakdown at peak bodyweight was almost unfathomable by modern standards.
Yates consumed approximately 450 grams of protein daily when weighing 300 pounds—roughly 1 to 1.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. Carbohydrate intake reached nearly 1,000 grams per day, while fat was deliberately kept moderate.
The Fat Phobia of the Era
Like most athletes of his generation, Yates bought into the low-fat ideology that dominated nutrition science.
I’d have like 12 eggs in the morning, but I’d only have like two or three yellows, and the rest just whites because that’s what we thought at the time, was not correct.
This approach, while effective for building muscle, wasn’t necessarily optimal for long-term health. Yates now recognizes that the near-obsessive fat restriction was misguided.
Post-Competition Experimentation
After retiring from competitive bodybuilding, Yates initially maintained his high-frequency, high-carb eating pattern out of pure habit. But eventually, his body started sending signals that change was needed.
Weighing 250 pounds with elevated blood pressure, he reassessed everything. This led him to experiment with a plant-based diet after reading about physicians who’d reversed arterial blockages using this approach.
The results were initially positive. Yates felt lighter, dropped weight, and experienced what seemed like improved wellbeing. But after 6 to 12 months, things took a turn.
I was losing too much muscle, and my wife was telling me like you should I think you should eat more protein and fat because I didn’t notice, but she noticed my focus and my mental and mood was not so good.
Within weeks of reintroducing higher protein and fat, Yates felt dramatically better. His mental clarity returned, his mood stabilized, and his physique improved.
Current Nutritional Approach: Less Is More
Today, Yates follows what resembles an intermittent fasting protocol combined with a moderate-carb, high-protein, high-fat approach.
He typically eats just twice daily, breaking his fast around 1:00 or 2:00 PM. Morning hours involve only water and perhaps coffee—no breakfast required despite decades of believing he needed fuel before training.
I used to believe, “Well, I need to Before I go to the gym, I need to get big breakfast in.” And you know, it made no difference. I had good energy, in fact, better energy going to the gym on an empty stomach, I feel.
What’s On the Plate Now
Yates’ current diet centers around whole, nutrient-dense foods:
- Whole eggs (no more discarding yolks)
- Grass-fed beef
- Avocado
- Sweet potatoes in moderation
- Limited vegetables and fruit
- Protein shakes to supplement whole food intake
His protein intake has dropped to 150-200 grams daily—less than half of his competitive consumption. This amount, split between two meals and a shake, is sufficient for maintaining muscle mass without the constant feeding schedule.
The Carbohydrate Controversy
One of Yates’ most striking revelations came from a discussion with a medical specialist about heart disease in athletes—both bodybuilders and endurance competitors.
The physician, himself a triathlete, noticed friends developing heart problems despite being “super aerobic healthy athletes.” The common denominator? Chronically elevated blood glucose from constant carbohydrate consumption.
The stress of exercise combined with a continual spiking of the glucose with carbohydrates because you know, these guys that do endurance sports, they’re whacking in a lot of carbohydrates all day long, as same as the bodybuilders do, constantly spiking insulin and glucose, and this damages the lining of your arteries.
This insight fundamentally changed Yates’ perspective on optimal nutrition. While high-carb diets may support maximal muscle growth, they may not align with long-term cardiovascular health—especially when combined with performance-enhancing substances.
Metabolic Flexibility and Adaptation
Perhaps most fascinating is how dramatically Yates’ body adapted to different eating patterns.
During his competitive years, going three hours without food would cause blood sugar crashes and shaking. His metabolism had become entirely dependent on constant feeding.
Now, I could go all day without eating and I’ll feel fine cuz I got used to that as well.
This represents true metabolic flexibility—the ability to efficiently utilize both glucose and fat for fuel depending on availability.
Supplementation Then and Now
Yates’ supplement regimen has evolved alongside nutritional science. During his competitive years, options were limited to basic protein powders, amino acids, and eventually creatine.
Interestingly, creatine didn’t produce noticeable effects during his steroid-using days, but made a tremendous difference once he stopped using anabolics—likely because his ATP levels and muscle saturation were already maximized artificially.
Current Non-Negotiables
Yates now considers these supplements essential for anyone training seriously:
- Whey protein – Still the gold standard
- Creatine – Not just for muscles, but cognitive function and mood
- Vitamin D3 – Which he’s personally experimenting with at 20,000 IU daily
He’s particularly intrigued by emerging research on high-dose vitamin D3 and creatine’s cognitive benefits, including studies showing creatine can offset negative effects of sleep deprivation at 20 grams daily.
What He Wishes He’d Had
Looking back, Yates wishes he’d had access to modern antioxidants and organ-support supplements during his competitive years.
I’d take a lot more antioxidants. I wasn’t even taking D3. I mean didn’t even know about the benefits. Nobody was talking about it.
Specifically, he highlights N-acetylcysteine (NAC) for liver protection—something that would have been invaluable given oral steroid use. Taurine for cardiovascular support. Selenium for preventing electrolyte-related cardiac issues.
The Mental Shift: Letting Go of Size
Perhaps most impressive is Yates’ psychological approach to losing the massive physique that defined his identity for decades.
Unlike many former bodybuilders who struggle with body dysmorphia, Yates approached his transformation with remarkable self-awareness. He actively observed his own reactions and noticed that others seemed more upset about his size loss than he was.
I felt like other people were a bit more upset than me that I’m not still that guy that they want me to be. I’m the guy that I want to be, all right? It’s my life.
This mindset stems from his original motivation for bodybuilding—not insecurity, but recognizing an opportunity to excel at something he loved while earning a living.
Practical Takeaways for Modern Athletes
Yates’ evolution offers several crucial lessons for anyone pursuing physique development:
- The diet optimal for maximum muscle gain isn’t necessarily optimal for health – Choose based on current priorities
- Metabolic flexibility is achievable – Bodies adapt remarkably to different feeding patterns
- Training fasted can work exceptionally well – Despite decades of pre-workout meal dogma
- Chronic carbohydrate spiking may damage arterial health – Even without performance-enhancing drugs
- Your identity shouldn’t be tied to your physique – Health and longevity matter more long-term
Most importantly, Yates demonstrates that elite athletes can successfully transition to health-focused nutrition without losing their edge or identity.
At over 60 years old, he’s living proof that the principles supporting longevity don’t require sacrificing quality of life or vitality. His current approach—intermittent fasting, whole foods, strategic supplementation, and metabolic flexibility—represents the convergence of performance wisdom and modern longevity science.
The bodybuilding icon’s willingness to challenge his own long-held beliefs and adapt based on evidence and personal experience offers a masterclass in intellectual humility and self-experimentation.
