How Much Does it Cost to Be Usain Bolt?

If you're in awe of Usain Bolt's impressive speed, you can take comfort in the knowledge that becoming the fastest man in the world doesn't come cheap.

On average, depending on the sport of choice, raising an Olympian sets parents back between $50,000 to $400,000 over a lifetime. In some instances, families of Olympians have gone bankrupt. That's why sponsorship can be the difference between living the dream and just dreaming about it.

In Bolt's case, Puma sponsored him at the age of 16 to take the enormous financial pressure off his family.

According to Forbes Magazine, Usain Bolt's earnings as of June 2012 are reported to be $20.3 million. Like other top athletes the lion's share of his earnings come from sponsorship deals. Back in 2010 he inked a three-year contract extension with Puma, which is worth an estimated $24 million. On the other hand, he has earned a mere $300,000 in prize money.

So just what is Bolt's recipe for success? Apparently, a "healthy" mix of fast food and yams fuels his lightning bolt speed. He eats six meals a day consisting of 60% protein, 30% carbohydrates, and 10% fat. What else does the world's fastest man do, and how much does it cost, to keep his edge? Click on the photo below to see the cost of living (and training) like Usain Bolt.

SLIDESHOW: HOW MUCH DOES IT COST...

THE COST OF BEING USAIN BOLT

Usain Bolt Breakfast food
Yams and fried green bananas or saltfish and ackee, $13

Usain Bolt Lunch meal
Rice with pork or beef, $12

Usain Bolt Dinner
Rice with beef or pork, $10

Usain Bolt favourite meal
KFC Variety Bucket, 18.99



If he followed this meal plan 4 days a week it would cost $12,272 a year.

Drink of choice
Gatorade, $2
During and after an intense work Bolt likes to either mix a bottle of Gatorade with water or drink a bottle straight.
If he drank one bottle for each of his four weekly workouts for 49 weeks of the year it would cost $392 a year.

Training
Bolt uses a combination of plyometric training and weight training to build functional strength. He trains four days a week for three to four hours per day. Below is a breakdown of his training regime:

• Weighted Lunges with heavy dumbbells
• Weighted Squats
• Cable Leg Drives
• Explosive step ups with weighted barbell
• Bunny Hops / Box Jumps
• Frog Leaps
• Ankle Rolls
• High-knee Skips
• Strides

• Gym membership $120 month, $1,440 a year

National Coach
Being a member of Jamaica's Athletic Administration Association has its privileges, including access to the best training. The average salary for a national coach at the elite level is approximately$200,000 per year.

Athletics coach
Not only does Bolt receive expert advice and training from Maurice Wilson, Jamaican National Track & Field Team Head Coach he also has a loyal personal coach, Glen Mills. The average salary for a coach at the elite level is about, $58,290 per year.

Physiotherapist
Another integral part of an elite athletes entourage is a great physiotherapist. Usually, an Olympic athlete would use the services of the national team's physiotherapist. If he had to pay for the annual salary of his physiotherapist it would cost around $82,700 per year.
The annual cost of physical training adds up to $342, 430.

Flights to competitions
Competing at the elite level requires a lot of travel. Since he became a carded athlete he has traveled around the world including various Caribbean islands, Europe and Asia, if he had to foot the bill he would have paid about $23,000.

Hotels
With each foreign competition he enters he has to stay at a decent hotel, if he had to foot the bill his annual hotel bill would be approximately $20,000 a year.

Toiletries
Although he makes it look effortless, you can't run 100 metres in 9.63 seconds without breaking a sweat. To make sure he looks and smells like an icon he uses the following products:
• Fragrance: Men's Animagical by Puma, $40
• Comb: Any girlfriend of his need not worry about him hogging the bathroom mirror. He's stated that he doesn't really use hair products and just any kind of comb will suffice. Goodie comb, $6
• Lotion: "I always have lotion -- Jergens has got a lot of different kinds, so it's usually a Jergens moisturizer," he said to the Los Angeles Times during a recent interview, Jergens Dry Skin Moisturizer, $10
• Gillette Sports deodorant and antiperspirant, $5
• Colgate toothpaste, $3
• Lip and a lip moisturizer or balm round, Burt's Bees, $6 out his list of essentials.
• Men's Animagical by Puma, $15
Shampoo and soap: He doesn't carry shampoo in his Dopp kit as he relies on the soap and shampoo that's stocked in his hotel room. His sponsor also provides him with grooming products whenever he travels for championships. If he had to pay for these grooming essentials three times a year he'd pay $340 a year.

Workout gear
Free sponsorship

Cars
Bolt's love of speed doesn't stop on the track; over the years he has developed a love for fast cars as well. But not all his speedy performances have ended in gold medals. In 2009, Bolt lost control of his BMW M3 and it flipped over and fell into a ditch. Luckily, he and his lady friends walked away from the accident without a scratch. The $60,300 Beamer was most likely written off.His growing fleet of gifted cars also includes:

• Ferrari California a sweet gift from one of his sponsors, $192, 000
• Nissan GT-R another amazing gift from a happy sponsor, $97,820
If he bought all these cars he would have spent $350, 120.

Shoes
Again, courtesy of sponsorship, Bolt's training and race day gear are free. However, you want to get your hands a similar pair, Puma Complete Theseus II, the suggested retail price $90. Given the way he tears down the track, he probably goes through at least four pairs a year and that would cost $360.

Usain Bolt's annual record-breaking training and car fetish totals: $748,914.