Joe Burrow said he can’t eat McDonald’s every day like his teammates — he sticks to a high-protein, dairy-free diet

• Joe Burrow invested in his nutrition early on by hiring a private chef, which isn’t all that common for young NFL stars.
• Burrow’s chef says the quarterback cut out all dairy, eats a lot of protein and has a craving for spices.
• Burrow said that, unlike some of his teammates, he can’t eat McDonald’s every day.

joe burrow he’s reached the NFL’s biggest stage in just his second season in the league, and his diet has been a central component of his efforts to get there.

The 25-year-old Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is ready to lead his team in Super Bowl LVI this Sunday, just over a year after he suffered a devastating torn ACL that ended his season. following a healthy diet it was instrumental in his rehabilitation when he regained his full strength.

Burrow, who was drafted first overall in the 2020 NFL Draft, had already taken an interest in nutrition before his injury: He used his first paycheck as a professional athlete to hire professional chef José Salazar to prepare his six meals. days a week, depending ABC 9. That only intensified last summer, when a veteran player, by the way, his Super Bowl rival, LA Rams captain Andrew Whitworth, advised him that his diet will be essential if he wants to avoid injury.

Salazar told ABC that two of Burrow’s biggest dietary rules are no dairy and spices should be in everything. Salazar also said that Burrow often eats a pound of protein at each meal.

Burrow’s healthy diet came with a sacrifice. The Bengals team tradition of eating McDonald’s regularly, often before games. One player, Chad Ochocinco, even claimed that his McDonald’s-based diet helped him avoid injury.

But that’s not on Burrow’s menu.

—Joey Burrow (@JoeyB) March 12, 2021

Ochocinco has made McDonald’s a pseudo Bengals tradition

Ochocinco has said that he ate McDonald’s before every game and during training. Ochocinco, who played 12 seasons in the NFL and never missed a game due to injury, has saying McDonald’s was the reason for his physical resistance.

Now, Ochocinco said he has passed his strategy on to current Bengals players, including Offensive Rookie of the Year Ja’Marr Chase.

“He eats McDonald’s and the whole team eats McDonald’s,” Ochocinco told Insider.

Bengals tight end CJ Uzomah credited his pregame McDonald’s for his touchdown performance against the Las Vegas Raiders in the team’s first playoff win on Jan. 15.

“Before the Raiders game I had a sausage, egg and McGriddle cheese, that’s my breakfast, with hash browns and orange juice,” Uzoma told Insider during a Super Bowl LVI news conference this week. “I’ll eat McChickens like it’s my job, and a sausage, egg and cheese McGriddle, but that’s it.”

McDonald’s may also have become a more important aspect of the team’s diet and the team’s bonding experience during its Super Bowl run, as head coach Zac Taylor told Insider during a Super Bowl press conference. Bowl that his team’s dining room was recently closed due to COVID-19 concerns.

Jamie Hepner, director of the performance analysis agency catapult sports, serves as one of the Bengals’ health advisors, and told Insider he’s “not surprised” by the team’s McDonald’s consumption. He added that they can limit the damage he could have on his body by doing “a number of other things right” with regards to fitness and nutrition.

Burrow’s High-Protein, Dairy-Free Diet May Help You Reduce Inflammation

For Burrow, avoiding inflammation has been key to his recovery from last year’s injury.

By avoiding dairy products, Burrow is following a line of thought that is also used by Tom Bradywho also avoided dairy, to extend his career to 44 years. Brady has expressed concerns that dairy products might increase your risk of injury by increasing inflammation, although the research is mixedY Some studies I have discovered that it could be an exaggerated concern.