“There’s No More Extreme Than an MMA Athlete”- Conor McGregor’s Nutritionist Lays Bare Eating Habits of Professional Martial Artists (Exclusive)

Being a professional athlete is a difficult job. There is not a lot of money in most sports unless you are in the top tier. Add to that the discipline and focus and the injuries that are a painful but inevitable part of sports, and it becomes one of the most difficult vocations one can pursue.

However, Conor McGregor‘s nutritionist Tristin Kennedy thinks that mixed martial artists have it even harder. He feels they are the most extreme athletes and gave his reasons for saying so in a recent conversation with Noah Lack on our exclusive ES Fancast.

Tristin Kennedy on what makes MMA athletes different

Lack asked Kennedy if there was anything unique about the nutritional and diet intakes of MMA athletes. The nutritionist began by declaring that there was “no more extreme [athlete] than an MMA athlete,” as they have to not only eat for optimal performance but also cut down in weight and fight, which presents a unique challenge.

He further clarified that the volume of food an MMA fighter can take in is “unique” because of weight considerations. The actual amount of food they can eat is much lower than that of other athletes. In contrast, a football player (by which he meant a soccer player), an NFL player, or a rugby player could eat as much as they wanted and pack on the nutrients. Not so for mixed martial artists, though, who consequently have very different diets from other athletes.

“The volume of food that these guys are able to intake is much, much lower than your typical athlete. Like we have to restrict the actual food going in. When we restrict food, we restrict nutrients. It’s as simple as that. So, yeah, you know, if you have a football player, whatever… these guys can load up all the way through. With MMA athletes, the volume of food and what they can eat and the different foods they have to choose will be definitely different than your typical athlete,” he added.

‘Mac’ in good spirits as he compares himself to Muhammad Ali

Conor McGregor has been out of the Octagon for over two years, recovering from a broken leg he suffered during his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. Since then, he has been involved in many controversies and has been the subject of criticism from fans. A lesser man might get discouraged and dispirited. Not so ‘notorious’ as the Irishman recently compared himself to Muhammad Ali in a tweet.

Read More: A Year After Joe Rogan Publicly Called Out Conor McGregor for Distasteful USADA Comments, Insider to UFC Star Confesses to His Insanely Buffed Up Physique- “He Obviously Got a Bit Bigger” (Exclusive)

This, of course, drew widespread criticism from the combat sports community, including Khabib Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz. The latter called ‘Mac’ a “one-round fighter” echoing criticisms about his gas tank. However, whether or not the former double champion’s claims are accurate or not is beside the point. What the tweet shows is that ‘Notorious’ has not lost his self-confidence and belief. And that is good news for all McGregor fans.

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