Shifting Priorities
As a child growing up in Portugal, Cristiano Ronaldo got an early start in sports, often playing soccer in the streets of his hometown. His love for the sport only grew with support and encouragement from his father, José, who worked at a soccer club when Ronaldo was a child.
Back then, nutrition and conditioning were far from a priority for Ronaldo; he didn’t think soccer would lead to a professional career. Now, nearly 30 years later, Ronaldo has become one of the world’s most decorated athletes. And as a brand ambassador for Herbalife Nutrition, Ronaldo is emphatic about the importance of good nutrition in his own life as it relates to his game-time performance, as well as the lives of others.
Official Nutrition Partnership
Ronaldo's long-standing partnership with Herbalife Nutrition began back in 2013 and has since been renewed through 2021. This relationship gives Herbalife exclusive rights to promote Ronaldo, who serves as a brand ambassador in connection with the company's nutrition, wellness, and sports performance products category.
Before this collaboration, Herbalife discovered a new avenue in which to flex its nutrition expertise: sports nutrition and performance. Who better to weigh in on the specific nutritional needs of professional athletes than someone of Ronaldo's caliber? The relationship between Ronaldo and Herbalife is mutually beneficial, and together, they crafted a co-branded sports nutrition drink, Herbalife24 CR7 Drive.
CR7 Drive is a specialty sports drink formulated with ingredients that help support top performance for everyone, from elite athletes to everyday athletes. Some of its key benefits include:
- Enhancing hydration with 320 mg of vital electrolytes lost during exercise
- Brain-fueling glucose helps promote quick and accurate game-time decision-making.
- Easy-to-digest carbohydrate blend helps fuel muscles and sustain energy levels.
- Lightly flavored with no artificial flavors or sweeteners
- NSF-tested and Certified for Sport
Such a product seemingly pushed the company’s sports science and innovation one step further and is one of the stars of the Herbalife24 collection, a comprehensive sports performance line that emphasizes proper pre-, during-, and post-workout nutrition for any level of athlete, including Ronaldo who is arguably one of the best soccer players in the world.
Of the Herbalife24 product line, John Heiss, Senior Director of Worldwide Product Marketing Innovation at Herbalife Nutrition, says, "We knew product efficacy and quality were critical for success. To give athletes, distributors, and their customers confidence, we selected the NSF Certified for Sport Program to independently validate our rigorous quality standards. This means:
- Every batch is tested to be clean of 270+ substances banned by major athletic organizations.
- Contents meet label claim and the product is tested for contaminants.
- All product is manufactured in a GMP-certified facility (Good Manufacturing Practices).”
Does Cristiano Ronaldo Really Use Herbalife?
The short answer: Yes.
Ronaldo has been quoted as saying that his body is a weapon and that good nutrition is what gives him an edge over other athletes. He's convinced that nutrition, hydration, and supplementation are critical to his performance – in training, during his daily life, and especially in those critical moments on the field – which is why he is partnered with a globally recognized brand like Herbalife.
The soccer icon has starred in various campaigns for Herbalife over the years, some of which can be found on the company's social media, as well as Ronaldo's high-traffic pages. With more than 500 million followers across all social media platforms, Ronaldo hit a different kind of career milestone by becoming the first person to amass half a billion followers.
As the most followed person on Instagram, with 292 million followers, his influence is far-reaching, to say the least. In 2015, Ronaldo even stopped by a local Herbalife Nutrition Club in Melbourne, Australia, to refill on Herbalife24 products.
In Australia and ran out of @Herbalife24 #RebuildStrength. Found a @Herbalife nutrition club. Thanks guys! pic.twitter.com/mFqsf2k2ea
— Cristiano Ronaldo (@Cristiano) July 15, 2015
With millions tuned in to his timeline from all over the globe, the icon is setting a positive example by not only promoting a healthy lifestyle but a brand he uses and, more importantly, he trusts.
Co-Creators of CR7 Drive
Make no mistake, Ronaldo hasn’t just signed on to his partnership with Herbalife as just the face of a product; he’s had a role in creating CR7 Drive during every stage of its production. Of this collaboration, Cristiano Ronaldo says, “Know that when you drink CR7 Drive, it is something that I had a role in developing, and I am personally very proud to have my name on.”
It’s safe to say that he’s found a company and a product he believes in, as he trusts it will optimize his nutrition both on and off the field.
"Herbalife Nutrition understands how critical nutrition is for my performance and I enjoyed working with their scientific team to develop CR7 Drive, a sports drink designed to rapidly fuel workouts and enhance hydration," said Cristiano Ronaldo. "It is personally and professionally rewarding to be able to help other athletes around the world understand how nutritious products can help them perform better."
In a League of Their Own
Ronaldo isn't the only elite athlete who's fond of Herbalife products, however. In addition to 4 national Olympic committees, Herbalife Nutrition proudly sponsors more than 150 sporting events, teams, and athletes around the world, exemplifying their devotion to a healthy, active lifestyle supported by good nutrition. These sponsored athletes, all at the top of their game, aren't just the faces of Herbalife Nutrition's sports line; they, too, use the products before, during, and after training and games.
Herbalife is also the Presenting Sponsor and Official Nutrition Partner of the LA Galaxy, the most decorated team in Major League Soccer (MLS) and home to a few more of the world’s most well-known soccer players, including Jonathan dos Santos, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez, Sebastian Lletget and other rising stars.
Fit From Within
Back in 2018, Ronaldo was named the "Most Famous Athlete in the World" by ESPN, and for good reason. Throughout his soccer career, Ronaldo has won five Ballon d’Or awards and four European Golden Shoes, which are both a record for a European player. So far, he has won 32 major trophies in his career, including seven league titles, five UEFA Champions Leagues, one UEFA European Championship, and one UEFA Nations League title. The list of awards and accolades goes on and on, and in total, Ronaldo has won more than 300 trophies and metals.
Named the “Fittest Man Alive” by Men’s Health magazine in 2014, Ronaldo not only maintains a balanced diet but also adheres to a strict fitness regimen to keep his renowned physique in tip-top shape. Between the 3-4 hour daily training, technical drills, high-intensity cardio exercises, and strength and conditioning gym sessions, Ronaldo expends quite a bit of calorie, energy, and electrolytes.
To keep up his relentless training routine and maintain his explosive momentum on the pitch, it's critical for Ronaldo to refuel and replenish with small balanced meals, Herbalife's Formula 1 protein shakes, and his beloved CR7 Drive.
It goes without saying, but neither Ronaldo's success nor his physique happened overnight. His attention to every detail of his regimen is impeccable, and his drive and passion have truly set him apart. Over the years, Ronaldo has invested in himself to be the best, and with the help of personal chefs, dietitians, trainers, and doctors, he has fine-tuned his fitness to such a degree that he is truly a force to be reckoned with on the field.
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