The days of boozing and smoking Premier League footballers may well be over as stars shift focus towards promoting healthier lifestyles.
For Thomas Robson-Kanu, the former Reading and West Brom forward, nutrition and wellness are central to a healthy lifestyle.
He believes a big part of this shift is better education and ‘growing research of wellness and health’.
The former Premier League star, 36, founded The Turmeric Co., which produces functional drinks with natural ingredients such as turmeric.
The benefits of functional shots include recovery and inflammation benefits.
Robson-Kanu exclusively told Metro: ‘If I look back seven, eight years ago from when we launched, but then I look back 20 years ago when I started my professional football career, there is a massive change in culture and lifestyle and the approach to wellness, health and recovery.
‘I genuinely believe this is fundamentally down to education and also the research evolving around nutrition, wellness and functional ingredients.’
Robson-Kanu’s father created the blend nearly 20 years ago after he struggled to recover from the pain, inflammation and swelling in his knee following two major surgeries when he was 17.
What are the benefits of turmeric?
Research has shown turmeric can help relieve inflammation, degenerative eye conditions, Metabolic syndrome, arthritis, hyperlipidemia (cholesterol in the blood), anxiety, muscle soreness after exercise and kidney health, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Turmeric supplements can also lessen the effects of indomethacin, aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen.
Together they researched natural ingredients that ‘anecdotally’ reduced pain and inflammation, including pineapple, watermelon and pomegranate and turmeric roots.
Robson-Kanu consumed the shots every day and, within six weeks, was ‘completely pain-free’.
He said: ‘Looking back now, no one really knew what I had to go through to get there [the Premier League].
‘I was using this blend as my secret weapon throughout my entire career – recovering quicker than my teammates, never getting sick even to this day. I’m almost impervious to the flu.’
A survey conducted by the Professional Footballers’ Association over the 2023/24 season found two two-thirds of players say the fear of injury can have a detrimental effect on their mental well-being due to the potentially devastating impact on their careers and long-term financial stability.
‘What our survey results highlight is that these “on-pitch” concerns – like injury and performance – can and do affect footballers’ mental health,’ said Dr Michael Bennett, director of player wellbeing at the association.
Household names, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Harry Kane, have also joined healthy lifestyle campaigns in recent years.
In 2023, Kane partnered with the FA on its Greater Game initiative, which aimed to tackle the challenges of modern life that make it harder for young people to lead healthier lives.
And Ronaldo has opened a wellness clinic in Riyadh to support Saudi Arabian men struggling with balding.
Erling Haaland also recently launched a YouTube channel with a debut Day in the Life film.
It shows how the footballer loves to cook at home with his partner, Isabel.
Haaland said: ‘People always see the matches, the goals, the celebrations — but not the hours that go into being ready for all of that.
‘This video shows the routine, the food, the recovery, the small details that matter.’
Does Robson-Kanu ever have a cheat meal?
Asked by Metro whether he ever has cheat meals, Robson-Kanu revealed: ‘I certainly don’t have a McDonald’s – that’s for sure.
‘I don’t have McDonald’s, I don’t have KFC – but I lead a balanced lifestyle and will have indulgent moments every now and then.
‘I like a nice Indian, which would be one of my treats.’
And mental health is just as important to leading a healthy life, according to Robson-Kanu.
He recently paid a visit to Middlesbrough football team Teesside Erimus, which was set up in 2022 to create a club for players with a BMI of over 27.5.
Its chairman Martin Walker found inspiration in Robson-Kanu when recovering from an ACL injury that left him being told he’d never play again.
Robson-Kanu’s turmeric shots were a daily aid for Martin in his ACL recovery, as well as dealing with pain in his knee due to the weight he put on while having to quit sport.
The players have not only lost a collective 3,000 lbs but are currently on a winning streak after 16 matches unbeaten.
Robson-Kanu told Metro that ‘Emirus FC are a great example’ of men supporting each other’s mental health.
He said: ‘I was speaking with the chairman there about his own journey of recovery from a major knee surgery, using the turmeric [shots] to support his recovery and then obviously setting up the team.
‘To bring groups of men together who probably aren’t able to talk openly in their work or home environments… seeing that it was community-focused and community organised was incredible.
‘And then seeing that wellness journey, what it had in terms of impact on all of the players in the team who were participating, which is whywetook the effort.
‘We did a five-hour drive up to Teesside to meet the team.
Dream team
Robson-Kanu revealed to Metro that his five-a-side dream team line-up would include:
- Ronaldo (R9)
- Ronaldinho
- Zinedine Zidane
- Paul Scholes
‘Seeing the intensity, the commitment of these guys who are on their own incredible wellness journeys and the testimonials from each of them on the impact that joining a team with like-minded individuals and the benefits, not only from a wellness and physical perspective but also from a mental perspective, was just absolutely humbling.
‘It was incredible to see the health and wellness journeys of young to middle-aged men up in Teesside who were really passionate about getting their fitness and wellness, both physical and mental, back into a great place.’
He added: ‘Your family, your friendship groups, your colleagues, they really, really matter in your life and I think it’s probably one of the unspoken elements [of life] because everyone’s just getting on with their day jobs.
‘But if you love being around people, you spend most of your time with that’s the first step to support and your mental wellbeing.’
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