Bryson DeChambeau Ditches Diet And Admits Bulking Up A Mistake

The high-calorie diet gave Bryson DeChambeau stomach problems as he chased extra bulk for extra distance

Bryson DeChambeau in action
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Bryson DeChambeau has ditched his big-eating, muscle-building diet and admitted that it was not the right move for his health after suffering from inflammation and stomach problems.

DeChambeau famously beefed up by adding 50lbs and building muscle to bulk out his frame in order to add distance to his golf game and become the longest driver on the PGA Tour.

And it worked, as his intense weight training, swing speed training and calorific, protein shake-filled diet enabled him to become the biggest bomber on the course.

DeChambeau topped the PGA Tour driving distances in both 2020 and 2021, while he also hammered Winged Foot into submission when winning the US Open in 2020.

His big driving and big personality was also ultimately a factor in DeChambeau managing to cash in and get a huge payday to join LIV Golf, but he’s now ditched all that, dropped some weight on a healthier diet and admitted it was not a healthy way of life.

“I had such huge mood swings from it,” DeChambeau told the 5 Clubs Podcast with Emma Carpenter, adding that now he’s dropped some weight “I look like I’m 20 again, not 35.

“I ate things that were not great for my system that I was very sensitive to and ultimately it got to the point where it was a little bit too much.

“I ate improperly for almost a year and a half and I was starting to feel weird, my gut was all messed up and so I went completely healthy and went on a Whole-30 diet, got a nutritionist. I was super-inflamed.”

Injuries may have also forced DeChambeau to have a rethink about his style of golf, which seems to mirror his intense personality, where if he’s doing something he goes all-in. That’s been the same with his long-driving plan of building muscle.

Bryson DeChambeau headshot

(Image credit: Getty Images)

“I start out with going to each side and then from there I best fit what works for me,” he added. “It’s a decent way to live life, it can be a tough one at times because it’s such extremes but if you don’t know one side of the coin to the other, I mean, how can you ever figure out what works best for you? That’s what I’ve done with my life so far.”

Health problems and injury problems led to DeChambeau admitting: “I played terrible golf the last year, I played my C game.”

And he’d also not recommend the DeChambeau muscle-building plan for other golfers wanting to find extra yards off the tee: “No. I mean, get stronger in a healthy way. Go get a blood sensitivity test and figure out what works best for your body to gain size and strength.”

Paul Higham
Contributor

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website.  Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.