What are the most unique diets for your favourite athletes?
Tuesday 18 August 2015 18:02, UK
You might think that a colossal NFL beast would require more than their fair share of red meat to keep their muscles bulging, but think again.
David Carter, 6'5" the defensive linesman with the Chicago Bears, is now known as the ‘300lbs vegan’ in tribute to the meat-free diet that improbable keeps his huge physique fuelled.
Carter, now an animal rights activist, has found a way to consume 10,000 calories a day without any meat after dramatically changing his lifestyle last year following a tendonitis injury.
And with the NFL season approaching we’ve taken a look at other athletes who take a surprising approach to nutrition.
Novak Djokovic
Now tennis’ undisputed No 1 having won two Grand Slams already this year, it is hard to remember the time that Djokovic struggled physically and was prone to mid-match collapses.
In his dietary book Serve To Win, Djokovic outlines the moment his intolerance to wheat and dairy was discovered and the course of tennis history was altered altogether.
Bread and pasta were staple foods in his native Serbia and his parents owned a pizzeria but Djokovic admirably cut out gluten and now eats mainly vegetables, beans, white meat, fish, fruit, nuts, seeds, chickpeas, lentils and healthy oils.
The new diet, as well as accelerating his ascent into the world’s top player on the basis of unrivalled stamina and flexibility, has also improved his mental state. In his book, Djokovic outlines how his healthier food intake has made him more level-headed and focused.
Timothy Bradley
The only beef that Bradley has is the rivalry with his next boxing opponent. Despite fighting other men who feast on red meat, Bradley was a long-time vegan.
Although he may dabble in and out of veganism, former two-time world champion Bradley achieved his most outstanding career result as a proud advocate of a meat-free diet.
He defeated the legendary Manny Pacquiao in 2012 sporting a chiseled physique that defied any notion that athletes must be literally 'beefed up'.
Usain Bolt
By now, you may know the story of the night before Bolt lit up the Beijing Olympic Games. The fastest man alive powered to his gold medal haul fuelled by chicken nuggets.
Writing in his autobiography Faster Than Lightning he said: “At first I ate a box of 20 for lunch, then another for dinner.
“The next day I had two boxes for breakfast, one for lunch and then another couple in the evening. I even grabbed some fries and an apple pie to go with it.”
If that surprising news adds up to 5,000 calories per day it is both depressing to the mere mortals among us but also testament to the punishing training regime that Bolt went through to prepare for the Olympics.
Peter Siddle
After ditching alcohol altogether five years ago, the Australian cricketer has slowly eradicated the majority of his previous diet.
Like Carter he is an active animal rights campaigner which formed part of his decision to stop eating meat and dairy products.
“I still ate seafood for a short time when I first went vegetarian,” Siddle told the Herald Sun. “Then after a couple of months I decided to get rid of all seafood as well and just stick to the veggies and the fruits."
His consumption of bananas is notorious and Siddle believes his unique diet has not prohibited his physical fitness.
He said: “I've been able to lift the same amount of weights, squat the same stuff. I'm just lucky to be a bit lighter now I can move around the field a bit better.”
Find out more NFL secrets with Hard Knocks on Sunday on Sky Sports 1 HD at 11.30pm. Not a Sky subscriber? You can still watch it for £6.99 with a NOW TV Day Pass.
