Cristiano Ronaldo began his professional footballing journey at just 16 with Sporting Lisbon – now 23 years on, the Portuguese elite is still perfecting his fitness and wellbeing routine
Cristiano Ronaldo has been playing professional football at the highest level for over 20 years of his life, winning multiple honours and scoring hundreds in the process.
Despite being 39 years old, he is still putting his football and fitness first – playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia and also for his national country of Portugal. The main reason for Ronaldo’s longevity in the sport is down to his strict workout regime and many other unusual ways he keeps healthy.
From prioritising high-protein food to a strict sleep schedule and painting certain parts of his body, Ronaldo is also well-known for some unique ways he keeps his body ticking the best.
Mirror Sport have broken down some of the elite athlete’s most common health tricks – and some of them may surprise you.
Ronaldo’s ‘magical’ chicken
Ronaldo enjoys switching up his meal routine from the regular three square portions a day to six, smaller meals throughout his waking hours.
Instead of breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Portuguese frontman opts for breakfast, brunch, lunch, snack, supper and then dinner. While research continues into the benefits of many small meals instead of three regular ones, Ronaldo’s choice of meal prepping isn’t an unusual one for most athletes.
Ronaldo’s protein of choice tends to be chicken, which he once called “magical” due to its healthy properties. He also chomps down on avocado, fish, quinoa and fresh fruit that are all staggered into his diet throughout the day.
The Mail reports that Ronaldo’s Portuguese team-mates previously revealed that his favourite meal is called Bacalhau a Bras – which is a dish of salted cod, fried potatoes and scrambled eggs.
Ronaldo also loves his hydration and won’t touch sugary drinks for his health – as he caused a bit of a hassle during Euro 2020 by removing the Coca-Cola bottles from his press conference table and exclaimed in Portuguese, “Drink water!”
Painting his toenails black
One choice that may look like it was fashionable but is actually for his health is Ronaldo choosing to paint his toenails black.
In a social media post, fans noticed that the star’s toenails were painted black and one fan queried: “Did I miss something or everyone else missed it. Did Ronaldo paint his toe nails?”
There is actually a reason why Ronaldo – and many MMA fighters – choose to do this, and it’s to help fight off fungi and bacteria from growing on their nails.
Learn more
The Three Lions are among the favourites to win this summer’s Euro 2024 tournament and you can get your hands on the brand new Nike home and away kits before the first whistle.
According to German news outlet Bild, athletes opt for black nail polish on their toes in order to ‘cover them up with a protective layer, which can protect them from fungi and bacteria’.
This layer of protection can also keep athletes from breaking their nails while kicking – whether that be in a fight or when scoring a 30-yard screamer.
90-minute nap schedule
Ronaldo sticks to 7-and-a-half hours of sleep which is the most optimal for his health – but instead of doing it in one big go, he actually splits this up into 90-minute nap sessions.
This technique, known as polyphasic sleep, is used to break your normal sleep cycle into a few nap sessions, and methods can vary from person to person.
Polyphasic sleep is similar to how babies sleep throughout the day and night – which tends to leave their parents sleep deprived.
Potential benefits of this technique include increased alertness, productivity and the ability to take in and retain new information. Some studies have shown that having a 90-minute nap during the day can actually improve your reaction times.
However, other scientists have said that polyphasic sleep doesn’t have any benefits that are proven in comparison to a normal sleep schedule. Ronaldo has stuck to this technique that he first learned while at Real Madrid thanks to sport sleep expert Nick Littlehales, who first suggested the change to him when he was playing in Spain.
Ronaldo previously said: “Proper sleep is really important for getting the most out of training. Sleep helps muscles recover, which is really important.”
£50,000 cryotherapy chamber
When Ronaldo made his return to Manchester United in 2021, it was reported that he installed a £50,000 cryotherapy chamber into his English pad.
Cryotherapy chambers use liquid nitrogen that freeze the air inside it to around -200C (-328F). This therapy is widely used across the world – with athletes like Erling Haaland and Usain Bolt noted as big fans of the technique.
This therapy is thought to help reduce swelling from injury and inflammation as well as boosting blood circulation as your body reacts to the extreme temperature shift.
While cryotherapy is good for the body according to many scientists, people are advised to not spend more than five minutes at a time inside the chamber as it can harm healthy tissue.
Some experts have said that there isn’t objective evidence that shows that it works, but cryotherapy could act as a positive placebo for people – meaning that athletes just feel better in their own minds and end up recovering faster due to this.
Working out for up to four hours daily
In addition to club or country training, Ronaldo has his own personal workout plan – that can sometimes last for an extra four hours in the day.
The Portuguese forward enjoys swimming, Pilates and trips to the gym – with five days on and two days of rest from the fitness studio.
His gym sessions include up to 30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprinting and targeted weight exercises that increase his muscle strength. In total, the star works out for up to four hours a day as well as training with Al Nassr or Portugal.
Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
