- Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald follows a low-protein, high-carb diet.
- The team dietitian said just 20% of his diet is protein, while the remaining 80% is carbs and fat.
- Donald is mostly lean muscle, with just 11% body fat, according to the Rams.
High-protein diets are a staple among NFL players who want to build muscle and strength without gaining fat. But one of the league's strongest and leanest players defies that norm in favor of his own carb- and fat-heavy diet.
Aaron Donald, who has helped lead the Los Angeles Rams to their second Super Bowl in three years has made the Pro Bowl in each of his eight NFL seasons, and has won the Defensive Player of The Year award three times — more than any active player.
Like other elite NFL players like Tom Brady and Ndamukong Suh, Donald adheres to a strict diet and lifestyle that is irregular for the average person. However, the 30-year-old, 280-lb defensive lineman isn't quite as focused on protein as Brady.
Rams lead dietitian Joey Blake said Donald's diet consists of just 20% protein, while the rest is 30% fats and 50% carbs, according to a blog from the team's public relations department. In a day, consumes 245 grams of protein, 616 grams of carbs, 164 grams of fat, to meet his caloric threshold. In comparison, Tom Brady also eats just 20% protein, but the remaining 80% of his diet is based on plant-based foods like vegetables, fruits, and grains.
"On his high-volume days, he is basically consuming 5,000 calories," Blake said of Donald. "And, despite what you think, the majority of those calories would be more fat than protein given the amount of recovery his body needs."
Donald can consume 12 smoothies and 20 cups of popcorn per day
Donald needs to consume several servings of certain dishes to meet his nutrition requirements, according to the Rams.
His 245-gram protein threshold can consist of:
- Six cups of chicken meat
- 12 Jamba Juice smoothies with protein
- 30 glasses of milk
His 616-gram carb threshold can consist of
- 15 cups of pasta or rice
- 20 cups of popcorn
His 164 grams of fat can be made up of:
- Seven cups of hummus
- Seven cups of avocado
- 55 ounces of fish
Donald's chef Aaron Sain has been the one nourishing one of the NFL's most accomplished players since he came into the NFL in 2014 and said his job is demanding, but fulfilling, according to the blog post.
"It's really a blessing to get an opportunity to really cook for someone like this because it's kind of like getting a gladiator ready for war. I take it really seriously," Sain said.
Donald's body fat percentage is abnormally low for a defensive lineman
NFL teams, like the Rams, use Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan to measure how much of a player's body is made up of fat versus muscle. Donald is only 11% fat, according to his team, which is lower than the 25% average for NFL defensive linemen.
Donald is still not the leanest defensive lineman in the NFL, as the rival San Francisco 49ers' star Nick Bosa is just 3% body fat, according to his DEXA scan.
Still, Bosa, who weighs 260 lbs, maintains that physique with a high-protein diet and an emphasis on lean fish.