---
title: "Bellerín claims new diet gives him more energy and helps his recovery"
canonical: "https://readarsenal.com/2018/03/29/bellerin-claims-new-diet-gives-him-more-energy-and-helps-his-recovery/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Elliott Cuff"
section: "Arsenal News"
published: "2018-03-29T19:13:30Z"
modified: "2018-03-29T19:13:30Z"
---

# Bellerín claims new diet gives him more energy and helps his recovery

Arsenal full-back Hector Bellerín claims that his vegan diet is helping him improve on and off the pitch this season.

The Spain international changed his dietary habits at the beginning of the season, and says it helps him recover quicker from tough games, having already noticed changes in his post-match recovery.

Speaking to The Players Tribune, as [quoted by Goal](https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/vegan-diet-is-helping-me-on-and-off-the-pitch-says-bellerin/p5j9ue3gmzwi1ck3zx6w75b4b), Bellerín revealed that he no longer has to protect his ankles with strapping and that he feels more energetic on a plant orientated diet. He said;

> I’ve been vegan since the beginning of the season more or less. At the beginning I wanted to try it for a couple of weeks to detox my body and stuff, but I just felt so great after it that I’ve been doing it for six months now.

> For me the most important thing is that inflammation in my body after games and the speed that my body recovers compared to before. I’ve always had little problems in my ankles when I played very hard games, they’d get very inflamed and stiff.

> Now I don’t even have to strap them to play anymore. It doesn’t just make a difference in your body but I strongly believe that with what we’re doing to the earth paying back the earth too.

> Getting rid of all the food I was eating and going to this plant based diet it did take those few days to actually feel better, but when it got to the beginning of the third week I felt so good.

> I was waking up in the mornings and had so much energy whereas before I used to be that person who would snooze the alarm five times before they got out of bed.

The 23-year old speedster admitted that he had taken some stick from his Arsenal teammates about the diet, with some trying to put meat on his plate in the Gunners’ training ground canteen.

However, he chooses to see the funny side, and hopes he can inspire others to take up the more healthy lifestyle. He continued;

> As a professional athlete you have to be technical with what you eat. You have to make sure your intakes are on point every day.

> Players like Nacho Monreal and even \[Laurent\] Koscielny are always telling me ‘where is the meat on your plate?’ and ‘why aren’t you eating meat today?’. They always try and put meat on my plate and stuff like this – it’s all fun and it’s all good.

> This is a way for people to see that you can be an athlete and do it, and that can open doors for other people.