Josh Allen’s taking a break from the ball game. No, not football, but his second-favorite sport: golf. The Buffalo Bills quarterback just wrapped up his fifth go around at the American Century Championship, an annual celebrity golf tournament, which this year included players like Joe Pavelski, Stephen Curry, and Tony Romo. For this stint on the greens, Allen ranked 34 out of 90, tying with football Hall of Famer Tim Brown.
With NFL training camp coming up, Allen is ready to focus on football. Considered one of the best quarterbacks in the league, he attributes much of his athleticism, both in golf and football, to a good night’s sleep. We caught up with Allen, who recently partnered with the sleep-aid brand Natrol, to chat about the importance of recovery, changing his diet to fit into his wedding suit, and how golfing has helped improve his throw.
GQ: What’s your sleeping situation these days?
Josh Allen: I travel a lot on planes and it’s hard to sleep on planes. I actually took Natrol Sleep and Restore melatonin from Europe, and I slept nine hours straight on a plane, so immediately I was like, “This product is what I need in my life.” Because when you break it down: All the working out, all the dieting—that’s all great stuff, but if you’re not getting the right sleep and not waking up restored and energized, all that’s thrown to the curb.
How many hours of sleep are you aiming for every night?
I feel like I need at least eight and a half hours of sleep, depending on what I’m putting in throughout the day too. Sometimes it’s nine, sometimes it’s nine and a half. I have a hard time sleeping, so that’s why I gravitated towards Natrol. My mind’s racing constantly, and before I started using this product, I’d be lying down at 11, 11:30, 12:30, and by the time I’ve fallen asleep, I’m just not getting enough of the sleep I need. So it’s really helping me get to bed earlier, and then waking up rested and restored.
Is there anything else you’re doing to help you get to sleep better and faster, and to get a deeper sleep?
Yeah, I’ve taken some of the things that I’ve been told from a few sleep doctors: Making sure the room is cold, making sure it’s quiet. Sometimes I throw on a little bit of green noise [,a variation of white noise that focuses on mid-range frequencies].
What else are you doing for your recovery routine?
I just got an infrared sauna, and it’s got some red light as well. Me and my wife have been doing that almost daily. I’m also making sure I’m working out for my body type and what I need to do to perform on the field. Working out, getting the right sleep, and a good diet—it’s been keeping me on a really good track.
What does your diet look like?
Honestly, right now, it’s probably the best it’s ever been, partly because I wanted to look good for some recent events in my life. [Ed. note: Allen married actress Hailee Steinfeld on May 31 of this year.] I was making sure that I was staying fit and slim so I could fit in the clothes. My diet consists of a pretty light breakfast or light lunch. Sometimes I don’t eat breakfast, and I don’t follow the intermittent fasting diet. When I wake up, I’m not extremely hungry. A lot of protein, whether it’s steak or chicken. I’ve really just dove into fish. Sushi is like my favorite food right now, so it’s helped me with diversifying my proteins and what carbs I’m taking in. But I’m not sitting here counting calories. And when I’m back in Buffalo, we have a chef who cooks for us at least two times a week. I’m also taking the butter and dairy out, trying to eat very clean.
Are you taking any supplements?
No supplements other than Sleep and Restore. I’ve never really been a huge supplement guy, even going back to high school, with protein drinks and stuff like that. I was force feeding them to myself because I couldn’t gain weight as a kid. I was eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day, protein shakes every day, big steaks at night, and I just felt like I couldn’t keep it on. Fast forward to where I’m at now, just making sure that I’m eating clean and maintaining and doing everything that I can do to perform the best on the field.
What’s your workout routine?
I’m working out four days a week, Monday through Thursday, alternating between upper and lower. Sometimes it’s a full body. I grew up swimming competitively, and especially for what I do in my job, swimming is so good for my body. I really do believe that it’s good for everyone’s body. It’s obviously just resistance training, but there’s no load on your joints and you go at your own pace. But I think the cardio that’s involved with it as well is very special.
You’re super athletic. You play football obviously, you swim, you golf. How’s golfing going for you?
I’m playing really well right now, probably the best I’ve played in my life. I’ve been working with a coach down in Long Beach, and I send them videos. Every once in a while, I’ve got a couple buddies that are on tour, so I’ll send them videos too and get some feedback from them. But every off season, I’m training for the tournament in Tahoe, the American Century Championship. And that’s no different this year. As soon as that’s done, I put away the clubs for the season, so I don’t really play much during the year, especially in Buffalo because the weather is not too great. Every off season, it feels like I’m starting from scratch. But I feel like I’m in a good spot right now.
