Throughout the 21st century, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been one of the leading symbols of masculinity.
From wrestling, to starring in intense, action-packed films, to bodybuilding, he’s risen up to become one of the most popular icons in the whole world, especially for men.
And if you know even a little about Johnson, you know that he likes to push his body hard and often. As a result, it’s essential that he has his diet and lifestyle on point, which includes the use of some key supplements. After all, you need to fuel that behemoth body with all the quality nutrients you can get!
In this article, we’ll be going over the primary supplements The Rock uses to help keep him strong, fit, and healthy even as he is now in middle age.
About Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson
For many, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson needs no introduction. The man is insanely popular with nearly 400 million followers on Instagram and 65 million followers on Facebook.
He’s risen to fame in large part from his acting career, being featured in many popular movies such as in the Fast and Furious series, Hercules, and Jumanji, among many others.
The Rock also is known for his successful WWE career, which started his road to popularity back in the ‘90s.
In addition to acting and wrestling, Johnson also turns a lot of heads with his brutal, intense workouts, which has resulted in one of the most impressive male physiques out there. He’s known to work out six days a week, typically for a couple of hours every day, so it’s a regimen not for the faint of heart.
Overall, the combination of Johnson’s chiseled body and bold personality have made him truly a living legend.
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Supplement Summary
To fuel his highly active lifestyle, The Rock pounds down six big meals a day. In addition to that, he takes several key supplements to help him get more nutrition, improve workout performance and recovery, and enhance overall wellness.
Below is what he takes in a typical day:
- Optimum Nutrition Amino Energy: Four to six scoops before weight training
- ZOA Energy: Before workouts and throughout the day
- Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey: 60g post-workout
- L-Glutamine: 15g post-workout
- Creatine: 5g (possibly more in some cases) After training
- Fish Oil: 2 Tbsp (1 tbsp with 4th meal and 1tbsp with 7th meal)
- Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein: 30g before bed
- Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Optimum Nutrition Essential Amino Energy
In an interview with Men’s Fitness, Johnson said he takes a whopping four to six scoops of Optimum Nutrition’s Essential Amino Energy after cardio and before weight training. It’s a combination of caffeine, green tea extract, and various amino acids.
This combo provides Johnson with the boost he needs to fuel his workouts.
ZOA+ Energy
Another energy supplement The Rock uses is ZOA+ Energy, which he is co-creator of. Johnson appears to take this sometimes as a pre-workout but also throughout the day when he needs to get more done and has a very hectic schedule.
On his Instagram, he said this was mainly designed to “deliver the cleanest and tastiest natural caffeine, vitamins, electrolytes & aminos to provide you with healthy energy when you get to that zero point- with focus and immunity so you’re always taking the higher ground”.
Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey: 60 to 70g
After workouts, The Rock has a shake consisting of several ingredients, including 60 to 70g of protein from Optimum Nutrition Platinum Hydrowhey.
In this YouTube clip, Johnson says that the “post-workout shake is so critical [to] get into those muscles that you’ve broken down for the last hour, hour and a half”.
On Instagram, he echoes this by saying “It’s that critical time where your muscles will optimally absorb these nutrients after you’ve torn the muscles down from your workout”.
Here, he’s referring to the “anabolic window”, which actually isn’t as important as once thought. But it can still be beneficial to consume protein (and carbs) after a workout to jumpstart the recovery process, especially for someone who’s as big and trains as hard as The Rock.
L-Glutamine
The Rock also takes 15g of l-glutamine after his workouts, typically mixed into a shake with protein and other ingredients.
He uses l-glutamine mainly to enhance recovery, which is particularly important for him given that he trains so often and for hours at a time.
This amino acid is used by many other athletes and fitness pros too, such as Bryce Harper and Rob Terry.
Creatine
Another staple in The Rock’s supplement regimen is creatine, which he combines into his post-workout shake shortly after training. He typically takes the standard dose of 5g, although this could be higher in some cases.
Creatine is pivotal for many lifters due to its potential to improve strength and power, speed up recovery time, and even boost muscle mass.
Fish Oil
Dwayne Johnson also takes 2 tbsp of liquid fish oil daily; one tbsp with his fourth meal and one tbsp with his 7th meal (yes, he eats up to seven meals per day!).
Johnson takes this due to the high omega-3 fatty acid content which can help with inflammation, joint health, brain function, and all-around wellness. And many other health-conscious individuals (like Dave Asprey) take fish oil or some form of omega-3s on a daily basis.
It’s unclear exactly what brand The Rock uses, but one of the most well-known ones for fish oil is Carlson.
In addition to supplementation, The Rock eats a lot of fish daily too, so he’s definitely getting in a high amount of omega-3s.
Optimum Nutrition Gold Standard Casein
Before bed, which is with his last meal, Johnson takes 30g of casein protein. It appears he sticks with Optimum Nutrition’s Gold Standard 100% Casein, which we’ve rated as one of the best casein powders out there.
The Rock takes casein protein before bed in order to support muscle protein synthesis throughout the night. Casein is a slower-digesting protein, which is why it’s often used before bed.
Now, the actual difference between using casein and other proteins, such as whey, before bed won’t make too much of a difference. But it’s still definitely a good source of protein and can benefit recovery and increase muscle growth.
Glucosamine & Chondroitin
Lastly, Johnson takes a glucosamine & chondroitin supplement to keep his joints healthy, which is very important for him due to not only heavy weight training, but also simply getting older.
Glucosamine and chondroitin are natural compounds found in cartilage and they help with joint flexibility and mobility. There is some evidence that they can reduce pain and improve overall physical function too.
Final Thoughts: Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson Supplements
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has a no-nonsense approach to supplementation. He pretty much just uses the basics that help him improve workout performance, aid recovery, increase nutrient intake, and support overall wellness.
He’s very regimented and disciplined. And it’s no surprise that this supplementation plan, along with his dialed-in diet, workouts, and lifestyle, have helped him achieve success in so many different areas.
