Ryan O'Donoghue credits Ballina Stephenite's footballer for a crucial role in his rise to success with Mayo
By Caoimhín Rowland
Mayo forward Ryan O'Donoghue recently revealed the instrumental role played by Ballina Stephenite's footballer Evan Regan in his journey to becoming a key player for his county.
Speaking to SportsJoe, O'Donoghue reflected on his personally outstanding season with Mayo, where he emerged as the top scorer for the county and won the Allianz League.
O'Donoghue's dedication to reaching the pinnacle of inter-county football was brought to light during the interview. He shared his experience of working with nutritionist Evan Regan over the past couple of years, which involved adopting a more diverse diet to enhance his physical capabilities and compete at the highest level.
Under Regan's guidance, O'Donoghue underwent a rigorous regime focused on gaining size and strength. He spoke about a period where he added four to five kilos to his frame, consuming a staggering 4,000 calories a day. The process required significant discipline and commitment, especially as he balanced his training with playing for UL at the time.
To achieve the necessary calorific intake, O'Donoghue relied on Optimum Nutrition's Oat Gainers, consuming three scoops of the supplement three times a day. Each serving alone accounted for a whopping 1,100 calories.
O'Donoghue praised Regan for his meticulous planning and support, emphasising how the nutritionist left no stone unturned in providing tailored dietary advice for the team to follow.
Former Mayo forward Evan Regan, turned nutritionist has been pivotal in the backroom providing support and advice for the current Mayo GAA stars.
“There was a period where Evan had me putting on four or five kilos and I was eating 4,000 calories a day” the Belmullet man revealed.
"Then you're trying to get your breakfast, lunch and dinner on top of that, and eating things like rice cakes and peanut butter, and all the good things that have loads of calories, you can't just go to the takeaways, Supermacs, or pizza.
"Evan Regan was brilliant, he literally has everything out on a plate for us to follow. Now it was tough, and you had to gym on top of that, but it was like the apprenticeship you had to go through to reach the demands of inter-county football."
As Mayo have been forced put on hold their quest for glory this season, O'Donoghue's remarkable journey will continue in the red and white of his native Belmullet, he’ll tog out alongside his brother Shea in the Division 2 semi-final vs Balla on Saturday at 7 p.m.