Olympic Star Alysa Liu Ate This Decadent Dessert Before Winning Gold

When most people think of the meals Olympic athletes eat before competing, thoughts of nutritious minced broccoli and various other healthy cooked vegetables probably come to mind. But just as the body has to be ready to perform, so does the mind. Getting into the right headspace for clashing against opponents on the world stage is arguably just as important as setting your physique up for success. Apparently, for recent gold medal winner Alysa Liu, that meant treating herself to a luxurious dessert in the form of chocolate lava cake during her time at the Winter Olympics.

After taking home the gold for Team U.S.A. as part of the women's team figure skating competition, Liu also dominated on the ice to become the first American in 20 years to win the individual category. While celebrating her victories, she participated in an interview with Adam Rippon and addressed a rumor that she had been feasting on the dessert for breakfast every day in the Olympic Village. She put that myth to bed by divulging that she did pamper herself with chocolate lava cake early in the day while in Italy — but only once.

Liu may have satiated her sweet tooth with dessert in the morning more often if she'd been awake, but she confessed that she hadn't been waking up in time for breakfast most days. Judging from her two gold medals, she still had enough to get the job done.

For all anyone knows, the chocolate lava cake recipe Alysa Liu was enjoying may have included healthier dark chocolate in the mix, which may have given her the edge she needed to outmaneuver her rivals. Still, she wasn't only dining on dessert during her time at the Winter Olympics. While athletic performance nutritionists likely wouldn't approve of eating chocolate lava cake (at breakfast or any other time of day when competing), they would likely be more accepting of Liu's other cuisine choices.

Liu was fueling her competitive spirit with pasta and vegetables. Those nutrients and carbs are probably more responsible for putting her in peak physical preparedness than any dessert she consumed; but to be fair, pasta and veggies don't really excite the palate as much as a rich chocolate lava cake. The mind and body work as one in elite athletic endeavors, and eating an exquisite dessert may have been just what Liu needed to keep her mental game up to par so that she could stand on the tallest podium after she emerged from the Winter Olympics as a champion.