Across the world of sports, players have repeatedly attempted to bend time to their will.
Tom Brady won a Super Bowl six months before his 44th birthday, while James Anderson continued to take wickets with metronomic accuracy long after he turned 40.
Lionel Messi was relatively wet behind the ears when he led Argentina to the World Cup title at the age of 35.
Ultimately, Father Time remains undefeated even against the very best, no matter how strict their diets and how obsessive their fitness routines.
Cristiano Ronaldo got a brutal insight into the life of an aging athlete this week when he missed Al-Nassr’s Asian Champions League match against Al-Duhail on Tuesday due to fatigue.
Cristiano Ronaldo was rested for Al-Nassr’s AFC Champions League game against Al-Duhail
Al-Nassr head coach Luis Castro insisted Ronaldo needed a break after recent games
Castro said Ronaldo was suffering from fatigue recently after a difficult schedule
Al-Nassr head coach Luis Castro emphasized that the Portuguese need to recover from the exertions of the last few games.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will not take part in the Al Duhail match because he is tired due to his many participations,” he said.
“I know there are people who want to see him, but he needs rest.” He’s not ready yet, but we have a lot of stars.
“I didn’t decide to exclude the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, but his skills decided it.”
“Because he played a game 48 hours ago and 120 minutes before that.”
Under normal circumstances, giving a 38-year-old a break to unwind from a grueling schedule would hardly be news.
Except Ronaldo isn’t a normal 38-year-old athlete.
Ronaldo (pictured playing for Man United in 2021) is still in incredible shape for a 38-year-old
The Portuguese is a famously dedicated coach and follows a strict regime
Tests carried out earlier this year revealed that Ronaldo had the body of an athlete 14 years his junior
Like Brady, the Portuguese is notoriously picky when it comes to his diet and proudly wears his passion for his health and fitness routines on his sleeve.
Ronaldo supplements his team’s training sessions with a personal training plan.
His five weekly gym visits include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprints and targeted weights to increase muscle strength.
In total he trains three to four hours a day and the results are impressive.
The former Manchester United star remains outrageously toned for someone two years shy of his 40th birthday, and tests carried out earlier this year revealed he had the body of an athlete 14 years his junior, with seven per cent body fat – the The average footballer is 11 – and 50 percent muscle mass.
“Exercise wherever you can,” he said in 2015 when discussing his “Top 15 Health and Fitness Tips” that he follows.
Ronaldo’s five weekly trips to the gym include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprinting and targeted weights to increase muscle strength
In addition to his team’s training sessions, Ronaldo trains three to four hours a day
The Al-Nassr star credits dedication and incorporating his workouts into his daily routine as the reason he continues to stay in incredible shape
“You can do an ab workout in your bedroom when you wake up in the morning or before you go to bed.” “Once you get into a routine, it becomes easier because it becomes a habit.”
But even the best exercise programs would be useless if you don’t commit to doing them regularly.
And Ronaldo believes dedication is the main factor in his transformation from the skinny teenager who arrived at Old Trafford in 2003 into a muscular athlete whose abs routinely grace the covers of glossy magazines.
‘[You have to] Be disciplined. The key is to stay motivated and stick to the routine. “For me there is no scope for relaxation, so I have to be strict.”
Ronaldo follows his diet as carefully as he trains, eating six smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to the average man’s traditional three-meal structure of breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The Portuguese has employed a nutritionist since his time at Real Madrid and loves nutrient-dense foods such as avocado and fresh fish and generally sticks to high-protein, low-fat foods such as chicken.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo avoids alcohol and also has a notorious aversion to sugary drinks.
He famously caused a sponsorship headache at Euro 2020 when he deliberately removed Coca-Cola bottles from his seating area at a press conference and then shouted in Portuguese: “Drink water!”
When Ronaldo returned to United in 2021, then third-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant revealed that his strict dietary regime had an immediate impact on his new team-mates’ diets.
Grant told talkSPORT that United players skipped desserts ahead of Ronaldo’s debut against Newcastle after noticing the Portuguese himself had skipped cake.
“Not a player touched the apple crumble and custard, not a single player went to the brownie because everyone sat down,” he said.
“One of the boys said to me: “What does Cristiano have on his plate?”
“So we took a little look at what he has, and obviously it’s the cleanest, healthiest plate imaginable.”
“And it just made me laugh that not a single player dared to get up and eat the junk food that was provided.”
When Ronaldo returned to Old Trafford, he also reportedly had a £50,000 cryotherapy chamber installed at home.
Ronaldo also pays attention to his food and eats very healthily
From ‘magic’ chicken to a strict sleep schedule to cryotherapy at home, Mail Sport examines the health hacks that helped Ronaldo enjoy a long career at the top level
The therapy, also used by Manchester City star Erling Haaland, is designed to help reduce inflammation and swelling in injuries by boosting blood circulation as the body reacts to the extreme cold.
Ronaldo is similarly conscious when it comes to his rest: he sleeps seven and a half hours with five 90-minute naps rather than one long nap.
But despite his obsessive diet and exercise regimes, it’s no surprise that Ronaldo is finally starting to slow down.
The five-time Champions League winner never suffered any major injuries during his career and due to his resilience, game interruptions were extremely rare.
Ronaldo has played at least 30 games in a season since turning professional in 2002, missing the 40 appearances threshold only in his debut season and in the last two seasons.
Ronaldo previously said sleep was key to muscle recovery; He takes five 90-minute naps a day
Ronaldo continues to have a busy schedule as he continues to be a key player for club and country
Ronaldo missed Al-Nassr’s opening game of the season in the Saudi League in August, but played the full 90 minutes in 10 of the next 11 league games – he was substituted with four minutes left in the 4-0 win over Al-Shabab on August 29.
Before Ronaldo was rested for the game against Al-Duhail, he had also played the entire game in Al-Nassr’s three Asian Champions League games this season, most recently playing 120 minutes in the round of 16 of the King Cup of Champions against Al-Ettifaq this week .
The Portuguese legend was granted a break when his side beat Ohod 5-1 in the same competition in September after returning from international duty.
Ronaldo has played three times for Portugal since the start of the season, missing the game against Luxembourg in September due to suspension.
He is Al-Nassr’s top scorer this season, scoring 15 goals in 16 games.
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