Professional athletes dont get to the top by accident. It takes superhuman levels of time, dedication, and focusand that includes paying attention to what they put in their bellies. In this series, GQ takes a look at what pro athletes in different sports eat on a daily basis to perform at their best. Heres a look at the daily diet of NASCAR's Martin Truex Jr.
Who needs to hit the gym five times a week and count calories when youre constantly fighting the G-forces that come along with driving a car at 200 miles per hour? Certainly not Martin Truex Jr. All that time throwing weights around and pre-planning meals could be used for something fun. Like fishing. Or running a foundation that supports cancer research. Or winning NASCAR races. All of which the Toyota driver has been doing a lot of this season. We caught up with Truex ahead of the Coca-Cola 600a race he won last yearto find out the best meal for tackling NASCARs longest trek and how exactly one avoids having an accident. (We dont mean the automobile type).
GQ: Youve been a NASCAR driver since the early 2000s. Have you seen a shift in the way that people address their diet or nutrition as the sport has evolved?
Martin Truex Jr.: I think in general, most people are more focused on being fit, eating healthy, working out, training, blahblahblah. I try mostly to eat somewhat healthy foods, but I really dont have a scientific approach or anything specific that I do. I just try not to eat junk or eat too much. I really dont do anything special. I just do my own thing. I really dont do a lot of training either. I absolutely cannot stand working out. I try to stay busy instead. Im always doing stuff when we go outside to work on [the house]. I make sure Im doing something so Im not sitting on the couch eating food all day. Thats my training schedule.
So what does a typical day look like for you then? Is it all over the place, food-wise?
Im not a huge breakfast person. Sometimes Ill have cereal. Corn Flakes are my favorite. But Ill usually have something small. I like to grab something quick as Im running out the door if I can. Just a granola bar or protein bar is enough for me. I dont get up super early so Im usually only a few hours away from lunch anyways. I just need something to hold me over until then.
And then you just go all in on lunch?
Sometimes Ill have a Cobb salad, but I really like quesadillas. A ham and cheese quesadilla is really good if you throw it on the grill. We have a lady who cooks for us and the quesadillas that she makes are really good. She even makes this pizza quesadilla that is so good. So Ill do cool things like that for lunch. And dinner is all across the board. I like a lot of different foods. I like beef, I like red meat, I like fish, I like all kinds of seafood. We really mix it up, honestly. Ill eat just about anything.
Your girlfriend, Sherry, was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a couple years ago. I know you both are huge advocates for raising awareness and educating people on the disease. Did Sherrys diagnosis change the way you both approached food at all?
Absolutely, yeah. Everything we bring into our house, all the things we eat on a daily basis, has changed a little bit based off what she went through. I mean, her diet has changed 100 percent. My diet has probably changed 40 to 50 percent. Some of the things we used to have in the house we dont even look at anymore. We started paying a lot more attention to what was actually in the foods that were eating and what type of products were using. You know, trying to lose the chemicals and get rid of all the stuff they say is bad for you. We definitely focus on that a lot more these days. Like I said, with Sherrys diet and what she does, its really 100 percent based around that.
When it comes to the day of an actual race, is there anything special youll do in terms of what youre eating or drinking?
I do actually have a little bit of a routine for most races. Generally Ill drink a lot of water for probably two days leading up to the race to make sure Im hydrated. Before the race I like to try to eat a decent-sized breakfast. If its a night race, Ill make sure I eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the meal right before a race is really pretty standard. I go with something light. Chicken and rice is always pretty bulletproof. No spaghetti. Nothing with heavy sauces. Nothing spicy, nothing wild. Im not eating sushi before a race. I try to keep it kind of standard with chicken and rice. Its not going to upset your belly and youre going to feel good all night. Plus itll keep you fill long enough, so thats the go-to.
Ive heard of some racers actually eating in the cars during a race. Jimmie Johnson once said hes had actual sandwiches passed to him during a race. Is that something you ever do?
You can have a granola bar or a protein barwhatever your favorite choice isjust as a quick snack if were under caution or whatever. I actually havent done that in the past few years, though. I used to always have something there in the car for a snack but for whatever reason I really havent had the need for it recently. We do have a drink bag system in the car, so you have a hose that runs to your helmet. Usually Gatorade or whatever is what I use. For a long race, I definitely go with Gatorade. I think it helps me a little more.
This is something I would love to know: The Coca-Cola 600 this weekend is a 600-mile race. Im assuming its got to get pretty hot in that car, especially with all your gear on. Then youre in the middle of a race with your adrenaline pumping. Youre probably drinking a bunch of Gatorade or water to stay hydrated. So when it comes to going the bathroom
I think its a case where youve trained for so long to be able to do this without thinking about having to go. Youre so focused during the race that sometimes Ill get out of the car and be like, Oh my God, I really have to get to the bathroom! It just kind of sneaks up on you without you even noticing it. Then theres the element that youre sweating so much. Especially in the summertime when its hot out, youre sweating so much that I dont know that you could ever drink enough water to actually have to end up going to the bathroom. So its probably a combination od things, but Ive never had an issue with that. Ive heard stories of guys actually peeing in the car because they couldnt hold it. Ive never done that. Never had to. I guess it depends on how precise your mental focus is. [Laughs]
After a race, and after youve relieved yourself, is there a meal you typically like to have to refuel?
Usually its a race to the airport in order to get home, so we always end up eating on the plane. So whatever area we happen to be in, whatever theyre famous for, Ill get. If we go to Kansas City, usually Ill have barbeque on the way home. Most times its a sandwich or a cheesesteak or a cheeseburger. Something thats just going to fill you up quick because youre absolutely starving by that time after a race. And you dont want something thats going to sit on the plane for an hour or two and get soggy, so youve got to be careful about what you order.
Im assuming its the same thing with hydration. Are you just pounding water after a race?
I could literally drink five bottles of water after a race. I mean, Im so thirsty that I will drink water until my stomach hurts. Ill keep drinking it right up until I get to bed that night. I try to get all that water back in there pretty quickly.
Youve had success at the Coca-Cola 600 in the past. Youre the defending champ there. Im not sure you want to give away any secrets on how to win that race, but could you reveal any tips or secrets for winning a race that long?
I honestly dont know how to answer that one. I just try to approach this race as I would any other race. Its a tough challenge with it being the longest race of the year, but I look at it like this: Its only an extra hundred miles. Once you do 500 miles, thats a pretty long ways already. Whats a hundred more?
MORE STORIES LIKE THIS ONE
Original post:
The Real-Life Diet of Martin Truex Jr., Who Has Never Peed in his Racecar - GQ Magazine
