The past couple of days have been quite hard for WWE fans after John Cena announced his retirement from wrestling on Saturday. Heartwarming tributes across the world have been echoing since then, as it not only marks the end of an era but also the culmination of his iconic 24-year career. Though the numbers say John is 48, from the looks of it, he can certainly go for more years.

Which brings up the question of what his diet secret is to keeping such a fit body?

Here's what's been keeping John Cena in shape!

Having made his WWE (then WWF) debut in 2001, John Cena's physique goal has always been muscle building. So, beyond protein, the American wrestler and actor has to give equal importance to carbohydrates and fats. Any typical day of his diet would include consuming seven meals. Let's take a brief look at each of them:

Meal 1: Call it the most important meal of the day, a.k.a. breakfast. John Cena would start his day with oatmeal, with a garnish of applesauce and raisins, coupled with 2 whole eggs and 6 egg whites.

Meal 2: Shortly after breakfast, Cena eats a protein bar, which only helps him to keep his protein intake on track and also eliminates any cravings.

Meal 3: Then comes lunch, which consists of brown rice with vegetables and 2 chicken breasts. This afternoon's feast has an equal amount of carbs and protein.

Meal 4: Following a post-afternoon meal, Cena eats some whole wheat pita bread with tuna. Consider this his go-to pre-workout meal.

Meal 5: A post-workout meal is incomplete without a shake. John Cena likes to make it with the help of some banana and whey protein for extra flavor and, of course, protein.

Meal 6: Of course, a shake won't be enough to fill Mr. Money in the Bank's tummy. So a dinner would see him cook some pasta or brown rice with vegetables and salad with either chicken or fish.

Meal 7: Post-dinner, the Cenation Leader would consume some low-fat cottage cheese along with a casein protein shake.

There you go, a classic high-protein, high-carb bodybuilding diet designed to fuel intense training, maximize muscle growth, and support recovery. Though the exact numbers aren't there, one can say this whole diet constitutes somewhere around 3,800–4,200 kcal, 300+ g protein, 400–450 g carbs, and less than 100 g fat.

Of course, beyond consuming such a heavy diet, it was important for John Cena to give his 100% in the gym. The 6'1" former wrestler spends just five days in the gym, following a bro split. This helps him dedicate each session to a specific muscle group. To round out his program, Cena made core training a daily habit by finishing each workout with a single, high-rep set of 60 crunches to maintain strong and well-conditioned abs.

So, do you have what it takes to become one of the hustle, loyalty & respect soldiers? Let us know in the comments.

Written by

Abhishek Mishra

Edited by

Joyita Das