Premium sports drink BodyArmor announced Wednesday that Dustin Johnson will be the company’s first endorser in the professional golf realm.

Kobe Bryant is among the shareholders in the electrolyte-rich sports drink, and other athlete-investors include Andrew Luck, Mike Trout and James Harden. The company highlights the product’s superior hydration relative to other sports drinks because of the inclusion of coconut water, as well as the competitive advantage of all-natural ingredients. 

I spoke with Dustin Johnson by phone to ask him about the new partnership and the role of fitness and nutrition in his golfing life.

Tell me a little bit about the partnership with BodyArmor and how that came about?

DJ: It came about a few months ago…I loved it…love the ingredients since it’s all natural. No artificial sweeteners. And the hydration: As anybody who plays sports or golf understands, it’s very important to stay hydrated. When you get dehydrated, it’s never at the beginning [of a round], it’s at the end, and it affects everything.

…And you see this as an on-course drink in addition to water or in place of water?

DJ: Yeah. I’ll have one in the morning, before, and one while I’m playing, and then obviously water along with it. It’d be tough to carry eight bottles; I don’t think my caddie would like that. And then I’ll have one when I’m done, and that works really well for me.

So you see the key benefits to golfers as the hydration element and the all-natural ingredients?

DJ: It has coconut water. Low in sodium. A lot of potassium. To me…it’s way better than the other products that are out there that are loaded with sugar and artificial flavors. With the trend in society toward people being more health-conscious, it’s…a no-brainer.

How does it fit into your general fitness as a golfer?

Whether I’m playing in a tournament or I’m at home, it’s part of my everyday diet. I’ll have one before I’m working out and while I’m working out to stay hydrated. And if I’m playing golf, I always have one with me.

From a fitness standpoint, you’re regarded as one of the best athletes on tour and certainly have never had any issues with swing speed, so I’m interested in what your fitness goals are.

DJ: Well, I’m always trying to get stronger. And a lot of preventive stuff, because you don’t want to get hurt. I do a wide array of things: Olympic lifts, plyo, I do everything that you can think of. And I train at home, on the road…before I play, I’ll do a full-on workout. The last couple of years, I’ve been doing that.

Is the way you work out consistent throughout the year?

DJ: Yeah. I’ve got a trainer, Joey D [Joey Diovisalvi], he puts together our programs, and he travels with me. And he lives here in Palm Beach. And our workout regimen stays pretty much the same whether we’re at home or on the road. And we workout pretty much every day, although I had five days off last week [after the Masters] at the end of a long stretch.

Do you workout for a set amount of time or is that variable?

DJ: It varies. Anywhere between 50 minutes and an hour-and-20 minutes, hour-and-30 minutes.

How has getting to know the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, impacted you?

DJ: Anytime you have someone like Wayne, who is the greatest that’s ever played his sport, maybe the greatest athlete of all-time — to me he’s the greatest athlete, if you look at all the records he has and everything he’s done, it’s miles above. Anytime you have someone like that, to pick their brain, spend time with, and get advice from, you just can’t beat it. It’s been great. He’s a great dude, great father, and he’s been a great role-model for me.