The still-undefeated Timothy Bradley, who brought down Manny Pacquiao like a blue ghost on Saturday, might have had an unfair advantage: He follows a vegan training regimen. The welterweight is famously hard on left-handers, but he's easy on animals.
When training for a fight, Bradley adheres to a plant based diet. Yes, that is right, serious athlete, serious training, serious muscles, vegan diet. In fact, Bradley gives credit to his diet for giving him a distinct advantage in the ring.
Bradley first tried a plant based diet in 2008, when an adviser suggested he try it because it would give him more energy and endurance. His training went so well, and was so successful, that it became a regular part of his training program. His vegan diet before a fight leads him to visit a local vegan restaurant, the Organic Palm Greens Cafe, up to twice per day in his hometown of Palm Springs, California and has had a vegan smoothie— Bradley’s Ultra Green—named after him at the establishment.
This is a interesting twist, as most wold think a boxer who is beefed up and training hard to build up muscle would stock pile the protein needed to add on the extra muscle by upping their meat consumption, but Bradley has proven that isn’t always the case.
Bradley said the vegan diet helps increase his energy before a fight: “My thoughts are clearer, crisp. I am sharp. Everything is working perfectly—I feel clean. It’s a weird feeling, man. It’s just a weird feeling.”
In this clip, in which he talks about why he loves eating vegan meals, Bradley explains, "I just feel completely different. I feel superior over any athlete I get in the ring with. You know, energy is there."
