OLYMPICS organisers have had to bring in reinforcements to the athletes village, in the form of a ton of meat and 700kg of eggs – after reports athletes were becoming dissatisfied with a focus on plant-based options.

Last month, the International Olympics Committee announced its food vision for the games, with a focus on more local food and more plant-based options.

Its plan drew strong revolt from the meat industry at the time, with Red Meat Advisory Council chair John McKillop saying that if the Olympics was to go vegan it was hard to see any records being broken.

Luckily, the Australian team is insulated from the dietary concerns as it is bringing in its own food. One of the team’s dieticians, Peta Carige, told Beef Central last month that red meat was an integral part of the high-performance diet.

Perhaps that is showing on the results, with the Australian women dominating in the pool and the country sitting third in the medal tally.

Not all have been as lucky, with Olympic swimming legend James “Missile” Magnussen telling Sky News that a heavy weight boxer was limited to two lamb chops.

“Guy is 6’6’, would be 110kg and he only gets two chops,” Mr Magnussen said.

His co-star and former rugby league player Matty Johns quipped that the boxer had come to Olympics as a heavy weight and was likely to go home as a middle weight.

Mr Magnussen has been publicly critical of the vegan push and said, along with poor bedding in the village, it could be having an impact on results. He says he has since been targeted by vegan activists for raising his concerns.

Many of the activists have been asking him to back up his claims with evidence. An MLA spokesperson said there is plenty of evidence to suggest red meat is an essential of high performance diet.

“The evidence about the role of protein for muscle health and implications for sports performance is well established, including building muscles and post-exercise recovery,” the spokesperson said.

“This means athletes who want to compete to extreme physical and mental levels should be integrating protein and nutrient-rich foods like red meat into their dietary regimes to optimise recovery and to help them meet their requirements for other essential nutrients important for sports performance, including iron, zinc and vitamin B12.

“If athletes are reducing their meat intake below recommended levels, there is a possibility they are not getting the nutritional properties they need to fuel elite performances. ”

The IOC has responded to the Olympians concerns, with director general Étienne Thobois telling reporters earlier this week that 700kg of eggs and 1T of meat was being brought into village.

“As far as food is concerned, we had a to make a few changes and adapt, which is normal,” Mr Thobois said via a translator.

“The committee of athletes has also been involved, we have a full vision in-terms of nutrition which is designed to provide the products which are necessary, including organic food, and I think it is to the satisfaction of all concerned.”