What are Kylian Mbappe's diet, workout, and fitness secrets?

In the modern era, elite-level football players are some of the best athletes on the planet. Given the high-intensity nature of each game, with most players running at least 10km over the course of 90 minutes, this is a must. But when it comes to sheer speed and rapid acceleration, the name that immediately comes to mind is PSG phenom Kylian Mbappe.

From the suburbs of Paris, the French superstar has taken world football by storm ever since setting matches alight with his brilliant pace, enormous strength, and blistering speed as a teenage sensation at the 2018 World Cup.

Still only 24, Mbappé has won more in his short career than most players are ever able to achieve. He's already claimed six Ligue 1 titles in France, scored over 250 career goals, lifted the World Cup trophy, and scored a memorable hat-trick in the most recent World Cup in Qatar.

Despite already proving he belongs among the elite, Mbappé has continued to improve season upon season, and with the departure of football legends Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo from the European scene, Mbappé is arguably the best player on the planet.

So what is the secret to his football abilities, and how much of it is down to his dietary and workout regime as opposed to raw, innate, natural talent?

GOAL takes a look at the secrets behind the Frenchman's skills, stamina and speed, including his diet, workout and fitness regimes.

How does Kylian Mbappe train? Workout regime in focus

It is not just a searing pace Mbappe is blessed with but sublime skill, quick thinking, two clever feet, a cool head, bravery, belief, and a brutal eye for goal.

Despite his relatively lean build, he possesses a rare combination of speed, agility, and explosive power that makes him stand out on the pitch. His lightning-fast speed, agility, and ability to change direction effortlessly and accelerate quickly make him a nightmare for defenders.

His explosive power that allows him to burst past defenders with ease and leave them in his wake is a result of his low body fat percentage and well-structured workout routine, focusing on enhancing his lower-body strength.

Mbappe's workout routine is structured by his trainer. And his trainer always makes it a point to change his training program periodically in accordance with his current fitness goals, making it impossible to pinpoint every detail of his workout routine. However, informed estimations can still be made regarding the key aspects of his training sessions.

A typical Mbappe training day starts off with basic stretching followed by cycling or running to maintain high stamina levels. After that, footballers usually engage in agility and speed drills, and the same goes for Mbappe. This is organised into parts that each contain multiple exercises. He does pillar bridge-front, lunges, hamstring stretches, and pillar skips for basic mobility.

The core agility regimen involves shuttle runs, T-drills, cone or marker drills, ladder drills, and box drills, emphasizing quick footwork, lateral movements, acceleration, deceleration, coordination, reaction time, and multi-directional changes.

Mbappé also relies on weight training. His weight training sessions not only give his body a lean and muscular look but also improve his overall athleticism. The 24-year-old does weight training five times a week, with two days devoted to working out the legs before equally splitting the remaining muscle groups.

Note:- 3/4 sets of 10-15 reps for each exercise

Having a strong and stable core is of utmost importance in almost every athletic activity. It also leads to muscle growth and a defined athletic physique. By looking at his ripped washboard abs, it seems Mbappe knows this fact pretty well and ensures to train his core muscles at least three times a week right after his weight training session.

Crunches, cross crunches, plank (with its variations), side planks- 3 sets of 45-60 seconds, bicycle crunches, scissor kicks, and hanging leg raises (with a ball) are some of the exercises that Mbappe incorporates in his training regimen.

What food does Kylian Mbappe eat?

You are what you eat – how true is this adage? Well, whether or not it reflects on ordinary individuals like us, for athletes, this directly reflects on their performance.

While on his route to succeeding Ronaldo and Messi as the best player in the world, Mbappe has picked up a thing or two from their diets.

Like Ronaldo, Mbappe takes six healthy meals a day, with little room for cheat eating – a cheat day is difficult for anyone to resist and it would be even more difficult to attain his level of resistance!

Mbappe's diet plan revolves around the principle of healthy eating with an abundance of colours. He always ensures that his intake of macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals is on point. It helps maintain energy levels during training, supporting muscle function, and recovery.

The PSG star often eats pasta, which contains carbohydrates, fiber, and vitamins to increase energy and improve digestion. Apart from pasta, Mbappé's intake of energy and carbohydrates comes from wheat, sugar-free porridge, whole grains, fresh fruit, and vegetables. He consumes adequate amounts of proteins by having legumes, protein shakes, fish, and poultry (eggs, chicken).

Talking about his fat consumption, it comes from olive oil, avocados, and nuts. In order to keep his hydration levels at peak, Mbappe makes it a point to drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Additionally, just like Ronaldo, Mbappe restricts his consumption of red meat, aerated drinks, and refined grains to a minimum level. Minimizing the consumption of sugar is crucial as it can contribute to weight gain and increased fatigue during physical activities like running. Therefore, Mbappe's dietary plan excludes simple sugars, opting instead for complex carbohydrates and proteins.

What is Kylian Mbappe favourite food?

Kylian Mbappe's his favorite dish is Pasta Carbonara. He has said that he loves it, and he often orders it when he is out at a restaurant.

Carbonara is one of Rome's four classic pastas (cacio e pepe, amatriciana, and gricia are the others). What distinguishes carbonara from other pasta dishes is its technique of combining eggs, hard cheese, cured pork (bacon or pancetta), and black pepper into a rich, creamy sauce.

The egg-based sauce is cooked by combining it with the piping hot spaghetti pasta and a little of the cooking water. Apart from Carbonara, Mbappe also enjoys other pasta dishes, such as spaghetti bolognese and pesto pasta.

What are Kylian Mbappe's cheat meals?

Footballers require supreme stamina & endurance to be able to run, nay sprint across the football field for over 90 minutes. While being aware of the moment & continuing to strategize their next move. They have to be at their peak fitness- mental & physical.

While many superstars, including Messi and Ronaldo, have cheat meals, Mbappe sticks to his well-balanced diet plan and doesn't usually cheat on his meals.

Some may consider Pasta, being low on nutritional value, high-calorie processed food, as a junk food. However, it's a versatile food that can be prepared in a way that is healthy and balanced, providing a good source of energy, fiber, and other nutrients.

In general, pasta can be a healthy food choice if it is prepared with healthy ingredients and in a balanced way. For example, whole-wheat pasta is a healthier option than white pasta as it is higher in fiber and other important vitamins and minerals.

What other fitness secrets does Kylian Mbappe have?

The player himself is dedicated to his craft like a maniac. It is well known that Mbappe is one of the fastest players on the planet with the ball at his feet, but that's not enough for him, he wants to improve it and become No. 1.

For that, he underwent a rigorous training plan at the facilities of his former team, AS Monaco, which included two-hour training sessions with his father, Wilfried Mbappe, who works as a football coach in Bondy. According to 'RMC Sport', the Frenchman returned much thinner and with less muscle mass than in previous years.

'Eat and sleep well'

Mbappe not only possesses remarkable talent but also exemplifies an elite mindset. He holds himself and his teammates to high standards. A good diet and moderate amounts of exercise can go to waste without a good night's sleep. Getting enough sleep is crucial for anyone in any profession, and Mbappe is a firm believer.

With PSG having lost three games on the bounce for the first time since 2011, and several players making the headlines for late night-outs back in February 2023, Mbappe gave a leaders' speech in the dressing room and did not hold back on using strong words to shake up his teammates ahead of the make-or-break second leg against Bayern Munich.

"Our players have to be in good health for the return leg, everyone needs to eat and sleep well."

Recovery

Mbappe's commitment to recovery is just as important as his rigorous workout schedule. He likely incorporates various recovery methods such as massage therapy and stretching and mobility work to help reduce the risk of muscle soreness and prevent injuries, allowing him to perform at his best. To aid with his recovery, Mbappe is likely to use supplements such as whey protein, caffeine, vitamin D3, omega-3 fish oil, and creatine monohydrate.

Thalassotherapy and cryotherapy recovery sessions

Like his idol Ronaldo, Mbappe uses modern methods such as Cryotherapy and Thalassotherapy to achieve physical strength that allows him greater resistance and much faster recovery by reducing swelling, inflammation, or sprain.

Thalassotherapy employs sea-derived substances that bring benefits to the body, while in Cryotherapy cold water is used as a relaxant to freeze and destroy abnormal skin cells. The PSG star also enjoys thermal baths and massages every week to maintain his peak fitness levels throughout the season.