Inside Ronaldo’s Saudi fitness regime, diet and how star manages rest

Cristiano Ronaldo is starting to make his mark on the pitch for new side Al-Nassr, and he is proving to be an influential figure behind the scenes as well. The presence of a five-time Ballon d’Or winner has sparked his teammates into conducting a more professional lifestyle, it has emerged.

Ronaldo assisted both of his side’s goals in their 2-1 win over Al-Taawoun on Friday, following his four goals against Al-Wehda in the week prior. The 38-year-old is proving that he has not headed to the Saudi Pro League simply to wind down his career and that he is keen to break records in the Middle East.

Therefore, Ronaldo has opted to continue with his strict, rigid fitness plans that helped him develop into one of the greatest players to ever grace a football pitch. Al-Nassr nutritionist Jose Blesa has shed a light on how the ex-Real Madrid star is remaining in top condition during an interview with Spanish newspaper Ideal.

Fitness

Blesa has revealed that Ronaldo has continued to work incredibly hard and to try and push himself to the next level by maximising his time at training, staying late on a daily basis, and he is influencing the behaviour of his teammates as a result. He continued: “Since he’s been here, all the players have been training harder and following a stricter diet… I have not seen a club like this in which the players improve practically 90% in their body composition every time I see them: they have less fat, more muscle and they do all the exercises at their fingertips. It is a luxury to work there.

“Cristiano helps me a lot because we can no longer teach him anything, but he creates a school around him. The rest of the players do what he does because everything he does is wonderful to improve his performance. Since he has been here, all the players have trained more intensely and followed a stricter diet, he is the first to arrive at training and the last to leave. Dealing with him is wonderful.”

Diet

It goes without saying that Ronaldo’s diet has always been at the forefront of his mind throughout his career. The Portugal international is not overly fussy about his food though and has been willing to try a completely new cuisine since heading to Saudi Arabia.

Blesa said: “Cristiano has a very good nutritional education and eats a wide variety of foods to have energy for every game and training, without any strange intervention that is in fashion.”