What Really Fuels Messi’s Supremacy? The Fitness Secret Revealed
Messi rigorously cut out the "worst things for the muscles": refined flour, refined sugar, and industrially prepared food.
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2025-12-03 11:47 GMT
The magic Lionel Messi displays on the pitch-the sudden burst of speed, the impossibly quick changes of direction, and the enduring stamina-is not an issue of raw talent but rather the result of a very well-managed physical regimen led by a surprisingly disciplined diet and focused training.
Unlike some athletes who rely heavily on weightlifting, Messi's routine focuses on maximizing agility, speed, and overall muscle health, which plays a crucial part in his low center of gravity and explosive movements.
His training is split into key areas: speed, strength, and extensive stretching. He does short, sharp sprints, bounding exercises such as hurdle hops, and pillar skips to build up his vigor and quick response abilities. Importantly, stretching is crucial, with reports that he spends over an hour each day on flexibility and regeneration. This focus limits his injuries and keeps his muscles supple, allowing him to accelerate away from defenders with ease.
In truth, though, his real secret weapon is his diet, which was radically overhauled in 2014 thanks to the advice of Italian nutritionist Giuliano Poser. Until then, Messi had been widely reported to have a weakness for pizza and fizzy drinks. Poser first pinpointed five fundamental building blocks of nutrition: water, good quality olive oil, whole grains, fresh fruit, and fresh vegetables.
Messi rigorously cut out the "worst things for the muscles": refined flour, refined sugar, and industrially prepared food. He also cut down on meat, which was tough for the Argentine, who loves traditional dishes like Milanesa.
His pre-match ritual consists of vegetable soup, then fish or chicken with greens the day before the match, and simple seasonal fruits just hours before kickoff for a clean energy boost. It is this combination of targeted, agility-focused training and a clean, anti-inflammatory diet which is really the engine behind the GOAT's longevity and sustained peak performance.
The article has been authored by Siftpreet kaur, an Intern at Deccan Chronicle