Cristiano Ronaldo remains in superb shape at the age of 40 and there is one key secret to his incredible longevity.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner celebrated the huge milestone on Wednesday, two days after bagging a brace in a 4-0 win for Al Nassr against Al Wasl.
For a while now Ronaldo has spoken about wanting to play into his 40s, continuing a decorated career which started at Sporting CP as a 17-year-old back in 2002.
With the demands of a top-level footballer these day seeing many retire into their thirties, the fact that Ronaldo is still adding to his unprecedented goals tally is simply sensational but serves as a testament to his strict diet and training routine.
Ronaldo is believed to prefer a high-protein diet, avoiding sugars and placing an emphasis of healthy fats, wholegrain carbohydrates and fruit and vegetables He infamously turned down a Coca Cola and urged youngsters to drink water at a Euro 2020 press conference.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United sensation has delved into his diet before while giving out fitness tips to fans.
With his own nutritionist, he never eats frozen food and will typically eat a steak with salad if he is dining out at a restaurant with his family.
Cristiano Ronaldo is in fine shape at the age of 40. Image: Getty
In terms of his favourite favourite dish, Ronaldo loves getting stuck into Bacalhau a Bras – a Portuguese food which reminds him of “my childhood, and it keeps me strong”.
The meal is made up of salted cod, onions, potatoes, and eggs – giving plenty of the necessary food groups he needs to perform at such a high level.
Yet there are many other practices which Ronaldo follows to stay in peak physical condition – with the Al Nassr captain having eight secret hacks to maximise performance.
A (very) tiring fitness regime
We all have the same hours in a day as Ronaldo but we’re not utilising it very well according to his intense fitness regime. According to multiple online sources, the footballer hits the gym for 25 to 30 minutes of cardio and targeted weights five times a week.
Altogether, that works out at three to four hours a day and no-one is arguing with him there. Back in 2019, the footballer fronted a campaign for SIXPAD, a Japanese tech company that specialises in electric muscle stimulation (EMS) products.
Although we don’t expect to gain the same incredible results after one use, the ab-training device available on Amazon has earned thousands of five-star reviews. One customer wrote: “I use it on my legs and flanks. I’m doing it at a pretty strong level. It’s been four months, but I feel that it has tightened little by little.”
‘Magic’ chicken
It won’t come as a surprise that it takes some serious discipline to maintain those abs – and it’s not just the gym that Ronaldo has to thank for his physique. The footballer’s diet is just as regimented as his exercise regime and according to multiple sources, he doesn’t follow the whole ‘breakfast, lunch and dinner/tea’ routine known to most.
Instead of the average three meals a day, the footballer opts for six smaller meals instead. Working with a dietician, Ronaldo reportedly sticks to nutrient-dense foods, from fresh fish and avocado to quinoa and fresh fruits. His protein of choice? Chicken – which Ronaldo has been known to call ‘magical’, due to its reported health benefits.
He also avoids alcohol and sugary drinks.
The power of AI
Ronaldo has even invested in the future of fitness. Bioniq is a revolutionary approach to personalised supplements, as the AI-powered business uses blood tests to create bespoke supplements based on clients’ data to support individual wellness goals.
Speaking about the partnership, Ronaldo said: “Backing Bioniq goes beyond just an investment opportunity for me – it’s about aligning with a shared vision for health, performance, and longevity.”
“I have been using their products myself for almost three years. With their personalised health approach, I believe Bioniq has the potential to transform how we care for our bodies and help people reach and maintain their peak performance for longer.”
Sleeping like a baby (quite literally)
Ronaldo isn’t exaggerating when he says he sleeps like a baby. The footballer reportedly follows a strict 90-minute nap schedule. The technique is known as ‘polyphasic sleep’ and is designed to break your normal sleep cycle into nap sessions which is similar to how babies kip.
A little help from supplements
It’s not just his diet and exercise regime that is to credit for his incredible physique. Ronaldo has been the face of Herbalife for over a decade and credits the nutritional sports supplement brand for his award-winning performance.
Back in 2013, the brand launched Herbalife24® CR7 Drive in collaboration with Ronaldo, a sports drink designed to meet the nutritional needs of athletes. Now, you can purchase a huge range of products from the Herbalife line on Amazon.
The strange secret behind his smile
It’s not just his admirable physique that garners Ronaldo plenty of attention as his rather charming smile is also particularly eye-catching.
Back in 2014, he bizarrely endorsed a Japanese facial workout device, designed to tone the face and enhance your natural smile. Available on Amazon, it does actually have some pretty decent reviews, with customers saying it has helped to ‘lift sagging jaw lines’. So there you go.
Regular cryotherapy sessions
It has been widely reported that when Ronaldo returned to Manchester United in 2021, he installed an extravagant cryotherapy chamber worth an eye-watering £50,000 into his home. So, is it worth it?
Cryotherapy chambers use liquid nitrogen to freeze the air inside the space to around -200C. The aim is to help to reduce swelling from injury and inflammation, as well as boost blood circulation. The wellness practice is famously used by top athletes for recovery.
Game-changing recovery
It’s not just a strict diet and fitness regime that keeps Ronaldo in tip-top shape, he also reportedly relies on a popular tracker: Whoop. A form of wearable tech, it’s designed to help you to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. It will offer real-time insights into everything, from your sleep patterns to stress levels with professional recommendations on how to unlock your potential.
But that’s not all. Ronaldo is a busy man and just so happens to also be the mastermind behind the ERAKULIS app. Designed to help you to reach your fitness goals, the app offers personalised training plans, nutritional advice, and stress-reduction techniques such as meditational practices. If you’re keen to follow in the footsteps of the footballer, you can download the app from the Apple Store now (just don’t expect to gain abs quite so quickly).
Additional reporting by Daniele Fowler