In the midst of Joe Burrow’s dominant performance against the Arizona Cardinals last Sunday, the star quarterback needed a snack. Some athletes might ask for the traditional orange slices, bananas or peanut butter and jelly. Burrow opted for a waffle.
“I’m kind of hungry. I don’t know (what I want); I just need something to eat,” Burrow told a team staffer in a video posted by the NFL.
“That’s all I need,” he said after the waffle delivery.
The clip garnered nearly 7 million views on TikTok.
Unique snacks are part of a long tradition of athletes experimenting with different refueling options during games. From Marshawn Lynch’s trademark Skittles to Jay Ajayi drinking pickle juice to prevent cramping, players across all sports have searched for the right in-game fuel.
Anaheim Ducks nutritionist Jillian Chaney said nutritional options for athletes have evolved significantly in recent years. Most professional franchises now employ full-time nutrition teams responsible for providing players with snack options during halftime, intermissions and throughout games.
“Nutrition is now a topic in athletics,” Chaney said. “Really seeing nutrition as a discipline in sports that can help athletes reach their potential, prevent injury, help an injury recovery and return to play. And how we take care of or don’t take care of ourselves, from a nutrition standpoint, really does have an impact.”
Chaney said she wouldn’t recommend athletes eat a large plate of chicken and waffles, but noted that players often make personal decisions about the foods they prefer. It’s the nutritionist’s job to work with them by offering guidance on what best fuels their bodies and by personalizing each athlete’s nutrition plan.
For hockey players, long games can also lead to experimenting with unusual drinks. Several players have been seen drinking soda during games. Chaney said she wouldn’t recommend this because of the high sugar-to-water ratio, but she understands that some athletes — like boxer Floyd Mayweather, who drinks soda after most workouts — swear by their routines.
“(Soda) actually can give you a really big boost, but then you’ll crash quicker. That’s why I think some guys, it’s — they’ve done it for years. It works for them. So I’m not going to tell them not to do it, but I explain why it’s maybe not the best hydration for you,” Chaney said.
Other famous food breaks have gone viral, too. Former New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez was caught on camera eating a hot dog with mustard during the middle of a blowout win. Milwaukee Brewers manager Pat Murphy has said he keeps snacks like pancakes and pizza in his pockets during games.
Marshawn Lynch eats Skittles as he addresses the media at the Super Bowl XLIX media day on January 27, 2015, in Phoenix. (Christian Petersen / Getty Images)
“It’s stuff I like. Have a little bit of carbs during the games,” Murphy said.
Though Chaney hasn’t seen players eating anything particularly unusual, she has her Ducks players eat lots of organic chews and bites that release energy instantly and delay muscle fatigue. Chaney said getting electrolytes, sodium, potassium and magnesium is extremely important in fast-paced, long games like basketball and hockey.
An overwhelming majority of athletes tend to eat during intermissions, Chaney said. She lays out a variety of snack options (chews, gels, bananas) in the locker room for breaks, and athletic trainers typically provide players with snacks and drinks during the contest.
Sometimes an in-game snack can leave some residue, though. Burrow’s waffle left him with some crumbs on his face, which he was alerted to by a teammate in the huddle. It took the star quarterback some time to wipe it off, but maybe it was the waffle that propelled him to one of his best showings of the season, passing for 305 yards with two touchdowns. But even a minor snack mishap doesn’t go unnoticed.
“Bro, you’re on TV,” a Bengals teammate said.