Carnivore cats: The all-meat diet powering Cleary and the Panthers

It’s the protein-packed eating fad adopted by millions around the world – now Nathan Cleary and a group of Panthers teammates have opened up on how the carnivore diet is driving them to the NRL summit again.

It might not seem the most balanced nutritional program, but Penrith stars have sworn the majority meat diet has given them an extra edge this season as they chase a fourth straight title.

From meat patties at breakfast to large steaks and lamb cutlets for lunch, Panthers stars are disciples of the diet, controversially promoted by podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

Centres Izack Tago and Paul Alamoti were among the first converts from the Penrith squad, later recruiting champion halfback Cleary, Luke Garner, Soni Luke and Jordan Grant, who have all used it at stages throughout this season.

The players stress there are times before games where they might consume a small portion of carbohydrates such as white rice, or vegetables including sweet potato, but otherwise restrict their eating to meat, eggs, poultry, seafood and fish.

Coach Ivan Cleary has no issue with the phenomenon which has swept through the squad.

Penrith Panthers players Izack Tago (left) and Luke Garner are among a group of stars to use the carnivore diet this year.Credit: Rhett Wyman

“He trusts us to eat well,” Garner said before Penrith’s grand final showdown with Melbourne on Sunday night. “It’s something a bit different. There are a few foods that don’t always agree with me, so I thought I’d change it up a bit.

“I thought, ‘Why not?’ I wanted a bit of a change. I had a go and it felt great. I did it for five or six weeks, and I’ll jump back on it again eventually.”

Cleary, in particular, has had a tortured year with a string of injuries including two hamstring tears and an unstable shoulder after subluxing it against the Storm last month. He will carry the injury into the decider at Accor Stadium.

Converting to a carnivore diet was seen as a way to help him get his season back on track, and he’s the favourite to win a remarkable third Clive Churchill Medal.

The Carnivore Kings

A typical menu for a Panthers player on the carnivore diet:

• Breakfast: five scrambled eggs, meat patty, half an avocado
• Lunch: 350g steak, five lamb cutlets, half an avocado
• Dinner: chicken breast or salmon, small serving sweet potato and pumpkin

“He saw a few of the boys do it and thought he would look into it himself,” Tago said. “I know he did a lot of research and had some chats with doctors. Then he decided to jump on it, too.

“You definitely know the difference. It’s been about a year for me. I started at the back end of last year after the grand final. There were a few things that were coming up on my YouTube and one of my mates was doing it. He sent me a few things and I liked the sound of it.

“For me, I noticed I had more clarity. When I wasn’t on it, I could sense brain fog. I have the odd cheat meal, which is a bad one, but you can see it’s made a difference to a few of the boys this year.”

Advocates of the eating plan have spruiked its ability to trigger weight loss, help with gut and joint pain as well as improve mental health.

But doctors have warned eliminating food groups such as fruits, vegetables and nuts can increase the risk of heart disease and lead to vitamin and mineral deficiencies.

Alamoti battled through the second half of the season with a broken arm, but insisted the radical way of eating has helped him produce career best form, including a bruising performance against the Sharks in the grand final qualifier last week.

“I did it for a couple of weeks in pre-season and it was actually pretty crazy,” Alamoti said.

“Every day I was waking up feeling fresh, my mental space was a lot clearer. I had a lot of energy during the day. There were no downswings during the day. I was able to fall asleep pretty easily. I was pretty [sceptical] about it [initially], but once I tried it, it hasn’t done me any harm.”

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