Tom Brady’s retirement caps a great 23-year NFL career during which he won seven Super Bowls and became the greatest player of all time.
The 45-year-old quarterback credits his unlikely success — from a deferred sixth-round pick to holding every record in league history — to his insane diet and training schedule.
He avoids foods and drinks known to trigger inflammation, such as sugar, fast food, and alcohol. But he also avoids vegetables high in nitrates, like peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and eggplant — due to a weak connection to inflammation.
The madness doesn’t stop there. Brady also believes using a foam roller over his muscles is key to avoiding injury — in a workout he and his trainer call “give.” He also claims he’s never touched coffee – as he avoids caffeine.
He is such a believer in his lifestyle that he has turned it into a commercial brand. The “TB12 Method” — named after himself and his now-famous jersey number — sells books, meal plans, supplements, protein powders and more.
Tom Brady has blamed his bizarre diet and exercise regimen for his rise to NFL GOAT status. he swears by nightshade vegetables like tomatoes and mushrooms, doesn’t drink coffee and doesn’t wear sunscreen. Its main goal is to avoid inflammation in its diet – but there’s little evidence that its diet contributes to this. Brady also makes sure to get seven to nine hours of sleep each night and drinks at least three gallons of water each day. He also does joint softening stretches to soften his muscles and prevent injury — which isn’t scientifically proven either
Some have cast doubt on the effectiveness of his lifestyle brand — saying it’s not rooted in much scientific evidence and instead his success in the field owes more to his natural talent and dedication to his craft.
Brady became the oldest NFL starting quarterback of all time in 2022.
Still, he managed to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to an NFC South title and playoff appearance.
Although he’s obviously a gifted passer, Brady’s longevity might be his most notable trait.
Only two other players in NFL history have played another position as a kicker at 45 or older — and both did so in the 1920s, when the game was unrecognizable compared to its present form.
Despite the players around him getting faster and stronger over the years, Brady still managed to compete at the highest level.
He attributes his success to his strict diet. The quarterback follows an organic, gluten-free, and mostly plant-based meal plan.
Brady applies an 80-20 rule — 80 percent of his diet is vegetables and the other 20 percent is meat — to get the vitamins and minerals a person needs to stay in tip-top shape.
According to TB12 trainer Matt Denning, the focus of Brady’s diet is to avoid inflammation at all costs.
Inflammation occurs when body tissues become hot and swollen due to injury or infection.
The process allows the body to remove injured cell tissue and rebuild and recover with healthier tissue.
However, too much inflammation can be a problem. It can harm a person’s cardiovascular health – which is vital for a professional athlete.
Reducing inflammation can also be good for the lungs and improve oxygen transport through the airways – which is also crucial for a top player.
For a quarterback, avoiding shoulder and elbow soreness can help prevent injury and keep his arm loose and capable.
Tom Brady is widely regarded as the greatest player in the history of the NFL – if not all of American sports. He has won a record seven Super Bowls. The quarterback became the oldest player ever to fill the position in 2022 at age 45
A great way to reduce inflammation is to eat healthier, since many unhealthy foods cause changes in the gut microbiome that can cause inflammation.
That means replacing highly processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates with natural fruits and vegetables.
He has called sugary cereals like Frosted Flakes and drinks like Coca-Cola “poison.”
Brady eschews sugar and white flour — two products known for their anti-inflammatory properties — but he doesn’t stop there.
He does not eat nightshade vegetables – a class of plants that includes tomatoes, eggplant, mushrooms, peppers and potatoes.
Allen Campbell, who was previously the personal chef to Brady and his ex-wife Gisele Bundchen, told Boston.com in 2016 the couple avoided the foods because they weren’t anti-inflammatory.
However, the science behind this dietary decision is questionable.
Nightshade vegetables contain small amounts of a chemical compound called alkaloids, which are known for their anti-inflammatory properties.
While research on nightshades and their effects on inflammation is still minimal, experts say there’s no known link between tomatoes, eggplant, and other similar vegetables and tissue swelling.
However, there are anecdotal reports that eating tomatoes worsens the condition of people suffering from inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
He said in his book The TB12 Method that he avoids inflammation so strictly because his body is already learning so much about it.
The body becomes inflamed after intense exercise – a regular part of being a top athlete – and even more so after a football game where it’s regularly beaten by big men.
Brady also avoids coffee, saying in a 2016 interview that he’s never tried the popular morning beverage.
And while coffee is known to contain anti-inflammatory antioxidants, a recent study found that it’s even better when mixed with milk.
While eschewing nightshades, he’s praised the benefits of alkaline foods over the years.
Brady claimed in his book that the foods, which include blueberries, avocados, kale, and spinach, help lower his body’s PH levels and keep it healthy.
He claims this helps strengthen his bones and muscles and prevent injury.
About 80 percent of his daily calories come from alkaline foods, he said in the past.
However, there is little science to back these claims, as a 2015 study debunks this popular pseudoscience.
Another questionable part of the TB12 method is the sheer amount of water he drinks on a daily basis.
Tom Brady’s Dos
Eats an “80-20 diet” where 80 percent of foods are vegetables and 20 percent are meat.
Drinks at least a gallon each day, but typically up to three gallons of water.
Eats alkaline foods like blueberries, avocados, kale, and spinach for about 80 percent of its daily calories.
Uses “Resilience Training” to keep his muscles and joints “soft”.
Don’ts by Tom Brady
Avoid nightshade vegetables like tomatoes, mushrooms, and eggplant as they are said to cause inflammation.
Has never had coffee in his life and very rarely consumes alcohol.
Avoids all highly processed foods. Says these foods cause inflammation.
Does not eat white sugar or white flour
Lifestyle requires people to convert their weight to ounces – and then drink at least half their water weight daily. For a 225-pound man like Brady, that would mean drinking about a gallon a day.
However, he remains hyperhydrated, having often said in the past that he drinks up to three gallons a day.
The quarterback also avoids alcohol — he rarely drinks — as it can also cause dehydration and inflammation.
Brady has claimed that the amount of water he drinks allows him to forgo sunscreen – instead the water protects him from UV rays.
There is no science to support these claims. But there doesn’t seem to be any overall harm in eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables while avoiding unhealthy, highly processed foods and alcohol.
He also makes sure to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night, another widely recognized healthy habit.
In addition to questionable diet advice, some experts have raised eyebrows at his exercise regimen.
The TB12 website describes “muscle compliance” as key to Brady’s longevity and health over the years.
“We use our muscles all day, every day, so naturally they wear out — losing muscle pumping ability, causing pain or stiffness, and becoming more susceptible to injury. Rather than accepting this as inevitable, we use flexibility training to prepare your muscles to absorb and distribute daily forces so you can achieve more and avoid injury,” the website reads.
Brady (left) credits his longevity and success throughout his career to his odd, strict eating plan and flexible muscle training
Brady says an injury hampered him early in his career, but things changed when he met sports performance expert Alex Guerrero.
Mr. Guerrero introduced Brady to suppleness — where athletes can use foam rollers over their muscles, joints and ligaments to soften them.
The purported benefits include keeping muscles loose, preventing injury, and helping them stay stronger for longer.
“A foam roller can be a lifesaver,” says Brady.
Instead of building strength, Brady instead focuses on softening his muscles. He says this allows his body to better absorb the impact of a hit on the field.
However, there is no science behind the flexibility. No scientific studies have been published linking it to reduced injury rates or muscle longevity.
Experts have called the concept nonsense.
Mr. Guerrero also has a checkered past. In 2005, he was sanctioned by the Federal Trade Commission for selling a dietary supplement called Supreme Greens.
On TV shows he claimed the food powder could help cure cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, arthritis and Parkinson’s.