The Real-Life Diet of the NHL's Nathan MacKinnon, Who Changed His Diet and Became a Star

Colorado Avalanche superstar Nathan MacKinnon says the 2019-2020 season was the first time in his seven-year career that he really, truly felt like he could win the Stanley Cup. The Avalanche were in second place in the Western Conference—and MacKinnon, fifth overall in points, was a serious contender for the Hart Memorial MVP Award—when the NHL postponed its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic on March 12.

“A few days ago I saw it would’ve been our last game of the year against St. Louis,” he says. “We were only two points back of them when the season ended, and we were rolling. It would’ve been cool to have this momentum and get everybody healthy heading into the playoffs. Hopefully we can return eventually.”

In the meantime, MacKinnon is doing the only thing he can: Trying to stay in shape. The 24-year-old has a cheat code, though. A few years ago, with the help and advice of his longtime trainer, Andy O’Brien (who also trains Sidney Crosby), MacKinnon constructed a 900-square-foot gym in his Nova Scotia home, about 45 minutes outside of Halifax. “It’s pretty secluded here and a good place to distance myself,” he says. The gym is paying dividends—in-between moments when he's catching up with old friends, playing Fortnite, and improve his cooking skills.

Below, MacKinnon expounds on his social-distanced workouts, describes his mostly gluten- and dairy-free diet, and reveals what he’s learned about nutrition from Crosby.

What kind of equipment are you working with in this home gym?

Nathan MacKinnon: I’ve got a little bit of space for footwork and warm-up drills, plus Keiser equipment, Rogue plates, bars, and dumbbells, and Keiser bikes. My trainer Andy O’Brien has been sending me programs to do. I’ve been training pretty hard and I still feel good. The gym is definitely my favorite part of the house.

How long have you been working with O’Brien?

I started working with him when I was 15. It got set up through my agent, who also represents Sidney Crosby. I thought that was the coolest thing ever, working with Sidney’s trainer.

Every summer, it’s amazing how Andy comes up with new exercises. Even right now, he sent me a new program, and I’ve never done any of these exercises before. They’re challenging and work different body parts. I think anyone who works with Andy is fortunate that his workouts are always fresh and never the same. We don’t really do a lot of squats or bench press. It’s movement-based. Every program he gives to a client is designed for them and their specific body needs. He knows me very well at this point.

So right now, what are you focusing on at the gym?

I need to open up my T-spine and keep my torso moving. I’ve had some AC joint sprains, so I’ve done a ton of shoulder stuff these past couple weeks while social distancing. I’m a fast-twitch guy, so also lots of movements, getting that deep burn in my quads and glutes. I’m doing long bike rides after workouts too. When I workout with [Sidney Crosby] in the summer, he does lots of quick, fast-twitch stuff too, which is why he’s so good at staying low.

Can you walk me through an average day over the last few weeks?

I’m not setting an alarm right now. I’m going to bed around midnight, which is a little later than I usually would, and get up at 9:30 or 10. Breakfast is gluten-free toast with some eggs and granola. During the season, I have a better breakfast than that, but I’m alone right now, so I’m not cooking anything crazy. I hit the gym around 11, do that for about an hour, might shoot some pucks or do a bike ride, play some Fortnite, and then it’s dinnertime. Lots of chicken, salmon, and steak, and I usually cook some asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and sweet potato on the side. Right now, cooking is kind of relaxing for me. It gives me something to do.

How long have you been eating gluten-free?

This is my third season. I don’t have an intolerance, but I do try to stay gluten- and dairy-free, and when I started this diet is when I kind of broke out. My nutrition, my sleep, everything changed for the better after that.

Normally, during the season, I don’t cook as much. I started working with a chef recently in Denver and I’ve gotten my bloodwork taken to analyze what works for me and what doesn’t. The chef has that data—including that I’m trying to avoid gluten and dairy—and designs meals off of it. I’m not a superstitious guy, so I’ll eat different things for pregame meals, and will switch things up all the time.

What’s your social distancing cheat meal snack?

I love chips and guac. I’ve had ice cream, too. That’s not dairy-free, so it’s definitely a cheat meal.

I’m going to put you on the spot for a minute: Reddit found a video of you from 2011 talking about how nutrition affects performance. What was the background there? Was that for a school assignment?

Oh my God, that video. I think Hockey Night in Canada actually aired that once. I didn’t even remember it at first. It was just a school project, and I had a cutoff t-shirt on, right?

You sure did.

[Laughs] My dad taught me a little bit about nutrition when I was growing up. He ran marathons and was definitely a workout addict in his 20s and 30s. I was always interested in it, and I guess I did a project on it when I was younger. Pretty funny, looking back on it.

Do you remember what you got on the assignment?

I have no idea. We’ll say A-plus.

You mentioned Fortnite. What else are you doing to pass the time?

Watching some TV shows and documentaries—I just watched one about Einstein on National Geographic that was pretty cool. I haven’t been reading a ton, and I need to pick up a book here. I’ve been laying around a lot, catching up with friends on the phone.

What’s the best workout tip you've learned from Sidney Crosby?

Just watching how hard he works and how disciplined he is with his nutrition and workouts is something I try to emulate. No one takes this more seriously than him; he’s always thinking about different ways to train, and giving ideas to our trainer Andy. He feels like a big brother to me—he’s eight years older than me, and I kind of just do whatever he says.

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Real-Life Diet is a series in which GQ talks to athletes, celebrities, and everyone in-between about their diets and exercise routines: what's worked, what hasn't, and where they're still improving. Keep in mind, what works for them might not necessarily be healthy for you.

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Originally Appeared on GQ