cristiano ronaldo.JPG
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner and renowned Juventus striker can eat up to six meals and take five naps in a single "typical" day, according to ESPNFC and AS.
TT News Agency/Janerik Henriksson via REUTERS
  • Cristiano Ronaldo can eat up to six meals and take five naps in a single “typical” day, according to ESPNFC and AS.
  • The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and renowned Juventus striker often eats breakfast, a mid-morning snack, two lunches, and two dinners consisting of low-fat, high-protein foods.
  • Ronaldo has worked extensively with sleep expert Nick Littlehales, who recommends that all of his clients take five 90-minute “sleeps” each day.
  • Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Cristiano Ronaldo is one of the most accomplished athletes on the planet.

What’s his secret? Lots of food and lots of sleep, apparently.

The five-time Ballon d’Or winner and renowned Juventus striker can eat up to six meals and take five naps in a single “typical” day, according to ESPNFC and AS.

Cristiano Ronaldo
The Juventus star typically eats two lunches and two dinners to fuel the rest of his day.
REUTERS/Daniele Mascolo

Ronaldo is known to start his days with ham and cheese and a side of yogurt for breakfast. When he gets hungry a little later in the day, the 35-year-old likes to snack on avocado toast.

He typically eats two lunches and two dinners to fuel the rest of his day. Ronaldo’s first lunch of chicken and salad is often followed by fish of some variety — perhaps tuna accompanied by salad, eggs, and olives, per AS. And in the evening, he’ll either stick with fish — swordfish, tuna, or braised cod — or switch to some type of meat. The Portuguese international often splits his dinner into two different sittings.

For an average person, that amount of intake would be overkill. But given his extremely active lifestyle — complete with training on the pitch, pilates, and swimming — and the lean but protein-rich nature of his meals, Ronaldo's diet appears to suit him perfectly.

Cristiano Ronaldo
AP/Antonio Calanni

All of that food would make anyone sleepy, and Ronaldo is no exception. The superstar has worked extensively with sleep expert Nick Littlehales, who recommends that all of his clients take five 90-minute "sleeps" each day.

"It's not a nap," Littlehales told Football Whispers. "It's not for old people watching the TV. It's not for snoozers and losers. It's a way to sleep less, to improve your recovery from it. Don't waste valuable time doing it, but zone out at the right time doing it, and you can get a real handle on it."

Though Littlehales insists that the five 90-minute sleeps — 7.5 hours in total — is the ideal amount of sleep, some sources suggest that Ronaldo follows the routine in addition to a full night's sleep.

Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has worked extensively with sleep expert Nick Littlehales, who recommends that all of his clients take five 90-minute "sleeps" each day.
AP/Alexander Zemlianichenko

Though the all-time goals and assists leader in UEFA Champions League history is remarkably serious about his diet and recovery routines, he's not above rewarding himself with an occasional treat. Though he mostly steers clear of alcohol, he'll enjoy a glass of wine from time to time. He'll eat cake on his birthday, and he even sneaks pieces of chocolate here and there, according to Business Insider's Alan Dawson.

Perhaps it's his strict routines — and bouts of flexibility — that keep Ronaldo in peak form well into his 30s. He doesn't appear to be slowing down anytime soon, as the star ranked second in scoring across all of Serie A last season and has already scored three goals in two games for the 2020-2021 campaign.

Read the original article on Insider