Cristiano Ronaldo is still breaking scoring records at 40 but there are a number of unusual routines that he has embraced to ensure he remains on top of his game.
Cristiano Ronaldo just turned 40 this month but unlike many athletes his age, he is not enjoying his retirement.
Ronaldo is instead still breaking scoring records as he continues his sojourn with Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr where he has been for the last two years.
In fact, the Real Madrid and Manchester United legend has reportedly agreed a one-year contract extension that will see him play in Saudi up to June 2026, earning an incredible €200 million per year, given he is the face of the league.
However, to stay at the top of his game, at such an advanced age, Ronaldo goes to great lengths to ensure he is in optimum conditions for the demands of top-level football.
From eating six mini meals a day, embracing the sleeping patterns of a baby to painting his toenails, Cristiano Ronaldo goes to extra lengths to remain competitive.
Cristiano Ronaldo eats six meals day
Cristiano Ronaldo eats six mini-meals a day.
Cristiano Ronaldo has six smaller meals throughout the day, being; breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, supper and dinner, rather than the traditional three-meal structure of breakfast-lunch-dinner.
That pattern is said to help meet the high nutritional demands of footballers, giving them the energy which they need for the range of training they do throughout the day. Ronaldo is reported to have a personal nutritionist who has been following him since his days at Real Madrid.
He loves nutrient-rich avocado and fresh fish and generally sticks to high-protein, low-fat foods like chicken, with Ronaldo once calling it ‘magical’ for its healthy properties.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s baby’s sleeping pattern
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Cristiano Ronaldo has embraced a baby’s sleeping pattern.
Unlike everyone else, Cristiano Ronaldo gets seven-and-a-half hours of sleep a day but not in one go, opting for five 90-minute naps instead.
Known as polyphasic sleep, the basic concept is to break the normal sleep cycle up into a half-dozen naps, though the exact method can vary.
This is the same pattern babies use to sleep, with the benefits of the practice including increased productivity, alertness, and the ability to learn and retain new information.
Why does Cristiano Ronaldo use a cryotherapy chamber?
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Cristiano Ronaldo use a cryotherapy chamber for recovery.
Cristiano Ronaldo has a cryotherapy chamber in his home which uses freezing liquid nitrogen to rapidly plunge the air within to -200C (-328F).
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The therapy, which has also been embraced by Usain Bolt and Erling Haaland, reduces inflammation and injury swelling by boosting blood circulation as the body responds to the extreme cold.
Cristiano Ronaldo uses it to relieve muscle pain and enhance recovery times between games and training.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s four-hour daily workouts
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Cristiano Ronaldo does four-hour daily workouts.
Cristiano Ronaldo also supplements team training sessions with a personal workout plan. He swears by Pilates, regular swimming and five trips to the gym a week.
These include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprinting and targeted weights to increase muscle strength.
Why Cristiano Ronaldo paints his toenails black
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Cristiano Ronaldo paints his toenails black to avoid fungi and bacteria.
Cristiano Ronaldo is also among male athletes who paint their toenails and it is not for fashion but rather health reasons.
The 40-year-old paints his nails or covers them with a protective layer to defend them from fungi and bacteria, a small but very important detail, in the life of CR7.
