Sam Altman is a vegetarian who hates protein shakes. Here's what he eats to stay productive

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in his blogs once gave an insight into his personal habits he follows to stay healthy, fit and productive. A vegetarian since childhood, Altman confessed his dislike for protein shakes, but drinks them for the nutritional value. He also has skips breakfast, limits sugar intake and avoids certain foods. Further, in the blog post, he shared his caffeine intake, sleep, workouts and how he channels his energy.

Sam Altman's vegetarian diet and supplements

Altman revealed that he has been vegetarian since he was a child. He also takes Omega-3, iron and Vitamin D-3 supplements. He arrived at this combination after getting quarterly blood tests for about a year and continues to get tested roughly every 18 months. He wrote, "I got to this list with a year or so of quarterly blood tests; it’s worked for me ever since (I re-test maybe every year and a half or so)."

Protein shakes, however, are not something he enjoys. He admitted, "I also go out of my way to drink a lot of protein shakes, which I hate and I wouldn’t do if I weren’t vegetarian."

Why he skips breakfast and avoids sugar

Altman said he rarely eats breakfast and typically fasts for around 15 hours on most days. His morning routine includes an espresso, but he acknowledged that this approach may not work for everyone.

He also tries to limit sugar. Why? Because according to him, "Eating lots of sugar is the thing that makes me feel the worst and that I try hardest to avoid. Since he finds it difficult to resist sweets, he prefers not to keep junk food at home. He avoids foods that upset his digestion or seem to increase inflammation, including very spicy dishes.

Another habit he follows is eating less before bedtime. He also avoids alcohol as it improves how he feels, but he candidly confessed that he does not follow through the rule all the time.

His coffee routine and approach to sleep

Altman has two large espressos a day, one immediately after waking up and another after lunch. He estimates that this gives him around 200 mg of caffeine. He said, "I tried a few other configurations; this was the one that worked by far the best. I otherwise aggressively avoid stimulants, but I will have more coffee if I’m super tired and really need to get something done."

Sleep, he believes, is the most important physical factor affecting his productivity. He prefers a cold, dark and quiet bedroom and a comfortable mattress. He has also found sleep trackers useful for understanding his sleep patterns.

The exercise routine that works for him

Altman considers exercise the second most important physical factor for productivity. After trying different programmes, he found that lifting heavy weights three times a week for an hour worked best for him. He also includes high-intensity interval training occasionally.

He said this routine not only supports his productivity but also makes him feel better overall.