Long gone are the days when players would tuck into full English breakfasts and enjoy a few pints after the match as the demands of the modern game continues to revolutionise the way top athletes treat their bodies.
But the regime followed by Cristiano Ronaldo would give even the even the most diet-conscious superstar food for thought.
For a footballer at the age of 34 and still on top of the world in 2020, Ronaldo has taken extra measures to remain at the peak of his powers for as long as possible.
Cristiano Ronaldo is 34 and remains in top form and peak condition thanks to his diet
The Juventus star has numerous tricks and techniques to be at at his best. He eats little and often – six meals a day, therefore every 3-4 hours – to meet the high nutritional demand of being a footballer and support the fast metabolism that most athletes have.
Ronaldo’s diet also allows him to have explosive muscles and a very low fat mass. He has a personal nutritionist who has been following him since his Real Madrid days.
He eats whole grains, fresh fruit and lean proteins contained in fish such as swordfish, sea bass, sea bream and cod. They are always fresh and never frozen.
There is always a lot of salad on Ronaldo’s plate and for breakfast he will eat cheese, ham, low-fat yogurt and fruit and avocado toast. He considers chicken one of the magical foods: rich in protein and low in fat.
Patrice Evra, his team-mate at Manchester United, said of him: ‘I recommend anyone to say no if Cristiano invites you to his house, because that boy is a machine and he never stops training.
‘I went there and I was really tired after training, but on the table there was a salad and chicken breast and only water, no drinks.’
Ronaldo is focused and attentive to every nuance of his life away from the pitch. In his diet, all carbonated drinks have been abolished and he avoids eating red meats and frozen foods.
Ronaldo also eats plenty of fish but avoids having red meat or eating anything frozen
Forced rest is another feature.
Professor Nick Littlehales wrote an important book on sleep, named: ‘Sleep: The Myth of 8 Hours, the Power of Naps… and the New Plan to Recharge Your Body and Mind.’
The sleep pattern for Ronaldo is not to rest for eight consecutive hours. Instead, he breaks it up.
According to Littlehales, it is ideal for a professional athlete to have five small rests of ninety minutes divided up throughout the day.
And Ronaldo has embraced this theory and carries out this methodology every day, even when he is on holiday.
He joined Juventus on a four-year deal that runs until 2022.
Who would bet against him playing beyond that?
Patrice Evra, a former team-mate at Manchester United, has described Ronaldo as ‘a machine’
