Throughout the sports world, players have repeatedly attempted to bend time to their will.
Tom Brady won the Super Bowl six months shy of his 44th birthday, while James Anderson continues to score with metronomic precision long after his 40th birthday.
Lionel Messi was relatively wet behind the ears as he inspired Argentina to World Cup glory at the age of 35.
After all, Father Time remains undefeated even against the best, no matter how strict their diets and how obsessive their fitness routines.
Cristiano Ronaldo was offered a brutal glimpse into the life of an aging athlete this week when he missed Al-Nasr’s Asian Champions League match against Al-Duhail on Tuesday due to fatigue.
Cristiano Ronaldo rested for Al-Nasser’s AFC Champions League clash with Al-Duhail
Al-Nasr head coach Luis Castro insisted that Ronaldo should be rested after the recent matches
Castro said Ronaldo was suffering from fatigue after a challenging recent schedule
Al-Nasr head coach Luis Castro stressed that the Portuguese must recover from his efforts in recent matches.
“Cristiano Ronaldo will not take part in the Al-Duhail match because he is tired due to his many appearances,” he said.
“I know there are people who want to see him, but he needs to rest. He’s not ready, but we have a lot of stars.
“I didn’t decide to rule out the legend Cristiano Ronaldo, but his opportunities decided that.
“Because 48 hours ago he played a game and before that he played 120 minutes.”
Under normal circumstances, a 38-year-old taking time off to allow him to recover from a grueling schedule would hardly be newsworthy.
Except Ronaldo is not a normal 38-year-old athlete.
Ronaldo (pictured playing for Man Utd in 2021) is still in incredible form for a 38-year-old
The Portuguese is known as a dedicated trainer and follows a strict regime
Tests carried out earlier this year revealed Ronaldo has the body of an athlete 14 years his junior
Like Brady, the Portuguese is known for being picky about his diet and proudly wears his obsession with his health and fitness routines on his sleeve.
Ronaldo supplements team training with a personal training plan.
His five weekly visits to the gym include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprints and target weights to increase muscle strength.
In total, he trains for three to four hours a day and the results are there for everyone to see.
The former Manchester United star remains outrageously toned for someone who is two years away from his 40th birthday and tests carried out earlier this year revealed he has the body of an athlete 14 years his junior, with seven percent body fat – the average football player is 11 – and 50 percent muscle mass.
“Fit in exercise where you can,” he said in 2015 when he delved into his “15 top health and fitness tips” he follows.
Ronaldo’s five weekly visits to the gym include 25-30 minutes of cardio, high-intensity sprints and target weights to increase muscle strength
Ronaldo trains for three to four hours a day in addition to his team’s training
The Al-Nassr star cited dedication and making training a part of her daily life as the reason she stays 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. If you get into a routine then it will become easier for you as it will become a habit.
But even the best training regimes would be useless without the commitment to follow them regularly.
And Ronaldo believes dedication was the main factor behind his transformation from the lanky teenager who arrived at Old Trafford in 2003 to the ripped athlete whose abs routinely grace the covers of glossy magazines.
‘[You have to] Be disciplined. Staying motivated and sticking to a routine is key. There is no room for relaxation for me, so I have to be strict.
Ronaldo watches his diet as meticulously as he trains, eating six smaller meals throughout the day, as opposed to the average man’s traditional three-meal structure of breakfast-lunch-dinner.
The Portuguese has employed a nutritionist since his Real Madrid days and loves nutrient-dense foods like avocados and fresh fish and generally sticks to high-protein, low-fat foods like chicken.
Unsurprisingly, Ronaldo avoids alcohol and is also known to be against sugary drinks.
He famously caused a Euro 2020 sponsorship headache when he demonstratively removed Coca-Cola bottles from his seat at a press conference before shouting in Portuguese: “Drink water!”.
When Ronaldo returned to United in 2021, then third-choice goalkeeper Lee Grant revealed that his strict eating regime had an immediate impact on the diets of his new team-mates.
Grant told talkSPORT that United’s players were avoiding desserts ahead of Ronaldo’s debut against Newcastle after they noticed the Portuguese had turned away the cakes himself.
“Not one player touched the apple crumble and cream, not one player went up for that brownie because they were all seated,” he said,
“One of the guys said to me, ‘What does Cristiano have on his plate?’
“So we’ve had a bit of gizzard in what he’s got, and obviously it’s the cleanest, most robust plate you can imagine.
“And it just blew my mind how not a single player dared to get up and eat that junk food that was set out.”
Since returning to Old Trafford, Ronaldo has also reportedly had a £50,000 cryotherapy chamber installed at home.
Ronaldo is also known to be meticulous about his food and follows a very healthy diet
From ‘magic’ chicken, a strict sleep schedule and home cryotherapy – Mail Sport looks at the health hacks that helped Ronaldo enjoy a long career at the highest level
The therapy, which is also used by Manchester City star Erling Haaland, is believed to help reduce inflammation and swelling in an injury by boosting circulation as the body responds to the extreme cold.
Ronaldo is just as conscious when it comes to his rest, getting his seven-and-a-half hours of sleep in five 90-minute naps instead of one big nap.
But despite his obsessive eating and training regimes, it’s hardly a surprise that Ronaldo is finally starting to slow down.
The five-time Champions League winner has never picked up a serious injury throughout his career and his stamina has meant that the breaks from the game have been precious.
Ronaldo has played at least 30 games per season since turning professional in 2002, falling short of the 40-game mark in just his debut campaign and in the last two seasons.
Ronaldo has previously said that sleep is the key to muscle recovery; he has five 90-minute naps a day
Ronaldo continues to have a grueling schedule as he remains a key player for club and country
Ronaldo missed Al-Nasr’s opening game of the Saudi League season in August, but played the full 90 minutes in 10 of their next 11 league meetings – he was substituted four minutes from time in the 4-0 win over Al-Shabab on 29 August.
Before being rested for the match against Al-Duhail, Ronaldo had also played the entirety of Al-Nasr’s three AFC Champions League matches so far this season and played 120 minutes in the King’s Cup last 16 clash against Al-Etifaq last week.
The Portugal legend was given a rest as his side beat Ohod 5-1 in the same competition in September after returning from international duty.
Ronaldo has so far played three times for Portugal since the start of the season, missing the match against Luxembourg in September due to suspension.
He is Al-Nasr’s top scorer this season, netting 15 times in 16 games.
