Becoming a professional athlete is like chasing a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow—it’s a tough gig. In most sports, you won’t find yourself swimming in money unless you’re in the upper echelons, and even then, it might not be a Scrooge McDuck level of wealth. Add to that the need for discipline and focus that makes a Zen master look distracted and the inevitable injuries that make you question if you accidentally signed up for a demolition derby, and you’ve got one of the most demanding career choices known to humanity.
Conor McGregor‘s nutritionist, Tristin Kennedy, holds the belief that mixed martial artists face exceptionally demanding challenges. In a recent discussion with Noah Lack on our exclusive ES Fancast, Kennedy elaborated on his perspective, highlighting why he considers MMA athletes to be among the most extreme in the world of sports.
Tristin Kennedy talks about the intense training and multidisciplinary demands of MMA athletes
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Our host, Noah Lack, had the opportunity to sit with Tristin Kennedy, the magician who shaped Conor McGregor. While having the conversation, Lack asked Kennedy about the topic surrounding MMA athletes and other athletes. Lack asked, “What is unique about dealing with MMA fighters vs. other athletes in your line of work?”
Kennedy asserted that MMA athletes are much more extreme than any other athletes. He said, “I suppose the MMA athletes, they’re probably, in my opinion, the most extreme type of athlete there is. You know, MMA as a total sport, if you look at the different aspects and avenues you have to train and be adapted to and do well at, there are multiple disciplines. There’s wrestling, BJJ, striking, of course, including kickboxing and boxing. Then you’ve got karate, all these different types of elements, different styles.”
He further added: “ So, you’ve got all these different things that the actual fighter has to be skilled at. And then, to complement that, you need the fitness system to complement that, and obviously, the nutrition. So when you bundle all that together, it’s like, you know, these guys, they have a lot to do.”
Kenedy emphasized that MMA athletes train much more than compared to other athletes. He said, “They have a lot to train for, and they’ve only a certain amount of hours in the day. Hours-wise, to do that. So like, to me, when I think of that, and when I think of sports science, I think of all the athletes and people who have worked on it and stuff like that. There’s no more extreme than an MMA athlete.” Being an athlete is tough, and what’s tougher is managing the food intake and weight cut behind it.
Kennedy talks about MMA diet
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The nutritionist further asserts on the ES exclusive show that an MMA athlete has to watch what he is eating and calculate all the macros in order to be in shape. If he eats more, then he gains weight and misses the weigh-ins, and vice versa. Kennedy added that, as compared to NFL and rugby players, an MMA fighter had to be in alert mode even when he was consuming food.
Kennedy said, “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,”
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With Tristin Kennedy revealing all the nutritional secrets behind an MMA athlete, what is your opinion on MMA fighters as professionals? Tell us in the comments below.
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