Travis Kelce has revealed that whether it's game day or a weekend off, he eats a whopping 4,000 calories a day.
The 34-year-old Kansas City Chiefs' tight end demands massive amounts of food to keep up with his efforts on the field, which includes burning up to 700 calories an hour.
While 4,000 might sound like a lot to many, Kelce also openly admits he has a penchant for junk food like pizza.
He makes sure to get enough protein to sustain his muscular physique by eating a mix of chicken, pork chops, and steak rubbed with a very unusual seasoning.
But he also indulges in candy like gummy bears.
Those close to Kelce have said that his go-to pregame grub is a plate of French toast 'dripping with whipped cream and syrup,' topped with strawberries, to keep his blood sugar up.
Travis Kelce, a tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, has revealed that he eats about 4,000 calories per day
Kelce burns about 700 calories an hour on the football field, which requires him to fuel up more than the average man
According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average US man who weighs 200 pounds and stands 5-foot-9 inches tall should get anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 calories per day, depending on age.
But at 6-foot-5 and 260 pounds, the hulking Kelce needs more fuel for his grueling practices and muscle training workouts, which includes running and weight lifting multiple times a day.
That massive calorie count isn't unheard of for someone with an intense fitness regime. Earlier this year, Meta mogul Mark Zuckerberg revealed that he eats 4,000 calories a day to 'offset all the activity' from his grueling workouts, which include Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournaments.
Additionally, nutritionist George Lockwood previously told DailyMail.com that his client, British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury, wolfs down about 2,700 to 3,000 calories every day.
Kelce said that when he visited girlfriend Taylor Swift in Argentina, he munched on empanadas
Kelce's favorite food is French toast - a popular breakfast food on brunch menus in the US
Kelce's childhood friend turned personal chef told Startland News in September that he feeds the Chief star 'healthy steakhouse cuisine,' which includes steak, chicken, and pork chops.
And his love of meat started young.
Kelce's mother, Donna Kelce, told Food & Wine that even when Kelce and his brother - Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce - were teenagers, they would eat entire chickens and drink gallons of milk.
According to the USDA, the average rotisserie chicken is about 1,100 calories, half of most Americans' daily calorie limit. It also has 165 grams of protein, which helps repair muscles after intense exercise.
A whole rotisserie chicken has 13 grams of saturated fat - the American Heart Association's entire recommended limit - and nearly twice the whole day's suggested amount of cholesterol, with 576 milligrams.
Saturated fat has been linked to raised LDL (bad) cholesterol- the fatty substance that builds up in arteries - which can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke.
Additionally, one whole rotisserie chicken has 2,082 milligrams of sodium.
The AHA suggests consuming no more than 2,300 milligrams in a day due to a greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes from getting too much.
During his interview with WSJ at a Kansas City steakhouse, Kelce ordered a dry-aged steak filet rubbed with coffee grounds, a Caesar salad - hold the anchovies - and a side of 'triple-cooked' fries, which are meant to be crispier.
A coffee rub is meant to help create a carmelized crust on the steak. It also moistens the meat.
Kelce also loves French toast.
'On game day, you want to carb us, so I have the energy I need for the game. French toast [gets] my blood sugar going [and gets] some carbs in,' the two-time Super Bowl champion told Men's Journal in 2020.
He also told Inside Hook last year: 'Every pregame meal has been French toast and strawberries since I've been on the Chiefs.'
Two slices of French toast with syrup totals about 424 calories, according to MyFitnessPal. However, it also has 51 grams of carbs and 46 grams of sugar, more than four Krispy Kreme donuts.
And a cup of whipped cream adds another 408 calories and 3.5 grams of sugar.
He's also a fan of more exotic fare. When Kelce visited girlfriend Taylor Swift in Buenos Aires for a stop on her tour, he ate empanadas, he said on New Heights, the podcast he and brother Jason host.
Though Kelce has said that he's largely cleaned up his diet in recent years, he's still a sucker for junk food. He told Inside Hook that he still gets 'some type of pizza sent over to the house' when he hosts friends and family for home games in Kansas City.
He even reaches for sweets during NFL games, according to Mashed, including a handful of gummy bears. A fistful of the candy - about 17 or 18 pieces - has about 22 grams of sugar, twice that of three Chips Ahoy! cookies.