You can’t mention the fittest athletes on the planet without listing a handful of footballers– it’ll be like listing the letters of the alphabet and skipping the vowels. In the world of football, the Premier League is home to some of the world’s most physically fit players, and we’ll be zooming in on the 5 fittest players in the Premier league for the year 2023.
Resulting from its physically demanding nature, the Premier League creates an environment that compels its players to be in optimal physical condition, that is, if they desire to thrive and get to the peak of their careers. While most athletes maintain a toned body, others go above and beyond, setting higher standards for physical fitness that others must meet.
Combining the most rigorous workouts with the appropriate diet as recommended by nutritionists, these players equip themselves to perform exceptionallly on the field, well prepared for the hassles they’ll encounter amidst other players on the field. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the fittest players one after the other, but first, we will go over the major criteria used in assessing the fitness of a player:
Criteria Used in Determining the Fittest Players
To perform well on the field, players must have a balanced combination of the following: speed, endurance, agility, aerobic and anaerobic capacities, and power. These characteristics, asides from enhancing their performance, aid players to maintain control and focus, making the most professional decisions even in the face of extreme fatigue.
Speaking of fatigue, one might wonder how these athletes remain disciplined with their workout routines while juggling between physically exhausting matches. Thanks to pre-workouts, which are supplements taken before workouts, players can get the energy surge needed to make their fitness goals more achievable.
There are certain tests used to assess players’ physical attributes, such as Yo-yo interval test, 20-meter sprint, 505 agility test, etc. However, we won’t go into detail about them in this article. The fittest players are those who can consistently maintain high levels of performance in these tests. They are discussed as follows:
5. Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City)
The 32-year-old Manchester City player is one of the best midfielders in the league and has been consistently phenomenal on the field, delivering stellar performances with his impressive tackling skills. According to his club’s official website, the Belgian is one of the world’s best attacking players, and while he isn’t exactly shredded as many other players, De Bruyne is a balance of physical and psychological qualities that give him an impressive mastery over his decision-making abilities, leading him to make the right decisions on the spot.
Speculations say that he might return to the field next year’s spring, but for now, De Bruyne is yet to recover from a serious hamstring injury which has prevented him from playing thus far in this season of the Premier League.
4. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
Ever since he made his professional debut, the incredible Norwegian has been nothing short of extraordinary this past season, almost like a goal machine. Despite being only 23 years old, Haalands hulking stature, extraordinary speed and agility constitute what makes him a natural goal scorer and one of Manchester City’s most valuable players. However, Haaland doesn’t just relax in his gifts, and his former coach at RB Salzburg reported that the player engages in a rigorous workout routine, performing 1,000 sit-ups and 300 press-ups daily and supplementing his efforts with an insane diet of about 6,000 calories.
In an interview, Haaland admitted that he consumes so many kinds of meat, although he leans more towards organ meats like liver and heart. Like De Bruyne, Haaland has been suffering from a back injury which has led to him missing three games this season.
3. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
The 31-year-old is one of the Premier League’s most formidable strikers and is globally regarded as Liverpool’s Egyptian king, after recently overtaking Robbie Fowler to become the club’s highest goalscorer. In over 300 games, he has scored more than 187 goals, and this could be attributed to the player’s disciplined routine and outstanding physique, which he sometimes shows off on his social media pages.
Salah pays as much attention to his nutrition as he does to his intense workout sessions, backing up a statement he once made in an interview with CNN:
“Nutrition is so important; it’s part of the game. It has helped with my recovery, allowed me to sleep better, and helped my body adapt quickly. My nutritionist says that because I don’t have any fat on my body, I can eat what I want. I also don’t drink, so it’s fine.”
2. Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
Rashford is one of Manchester United’s finest forwards, with an amazing track record of scoring 125 goals for the club at such a young age. The 26-year-old has been named Players’ Player of the Year despite suffering two injuries in the course of his career, thanks to a workout regimen that focuses heavily on functional training (a training that mimics real-life situations on the field), working primarily on his speed, strength, and agility. This is supplemented by a balanced diet that focuses on high protein and carbs with adequate fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
1. Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Known as Premier League’s muscle man, the 27-year-old Spaniard has a superb physique that enables him to be the league’s strongest and most fearsome defender. Surprisingly, Traore doesn’t lift weights as would seem because his workouts are mostly directed at his core: strength and power training, core exercises, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT). During an interview with AS in July 2020, Traore revealed the secrets that led to this exceptional body, saying :
“….my genetics are like that and it makes my muscles grow very fast. I do other exercises. Each person has to adapt what suits him best. I do a lot of core. The secret is to know your body and adapt the training to your physical condition”
In addition to that, Traore explained that he follows a healthy Malian diet, saying, “I have gained in muscles with training, rest and food. Food is essential and I consider it a very important part of training. Water – although I don’t drink much in matches – is vital. Maintaining the water level in the body is essential for an athlete. I try to vary the amount of dishes and have a varied, healthy and balanced diet.”
