Men’s Basketball: Nutrition
Guidelines for Performance
By: Mike Ryder
Men’s basketball is
a physically demanding sport. It
requires a combination of explosive
movements
(sprinting and jumping) in addition to
the added element of endurance associated with drawn out gameplay. This
places a unique nutritional demand on
fueling these athletes in order to perform at their best.
Calories:
The amount of calories that an athlete requires varies
greatly based on factors such as height, weight, age, metabolism, muscle mass and activity level. The best way to assess the adequacy of
caloric intake is to monitor weight. Most basketball players are going to
want to simply maintain weight during the season, especially guards
and forwards. These positions require quickness and agility to perform
at their best. Power forwards and centers may need to gain mass to be
effective at posting up and rebounding. Athletes trying to gain weight
should consume 500-700 Cal/day above their energy needs. Excess
Calories may lead to unnecessary fat gain, which will hinder performance. Players may need to consume between 5-7 meals to meet their
energy needs. Here is a link to a calorie calculator to get you in the
ballpark for your energy requirements, choose very active for activity
level.
Hydration: Fluid intake is a big concern for athletes and basketball players are no exception. Insufficient fluid intake leads to dehydration, which
causes a decline in endurance, strength, overall performance and can lead
to heat exhaustion. Many nutrition experts recommend a minimum of 64
ounces a day, with increased needs in hotter climates. Thirst is a late sign
of dehydration and is therefore not a reliable indicator of hydration status.
Urine color is a better measurement that is simple to assess. It should be
no darker than the color of lemonade. Another concern with hydration is
drinking too much water without replacing the electrolytes lost in sweat;
this causes dilution of blood sodium levels, a condition called water intoxication. To prevent this players should consume a sports beverage that
contains 100mg of sodium per 8 ounce serving during games and practice.
The added simple sugars help maintain blood sugars and the flavoring
encourages consumption. Choose a sports drink that uses dextrose instead of high fructose corn syrup. Studies have not definitively shown that
one sugar is better than the other during a workout, but high-fructose corn
syrup is associated with health risks such as increased abdominal fat
when consumed in excessive quantities. Only water should be consumed
before games/practice and through out the day.
Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates are your body’s preferred energy
source and are stored in your muscles and liver as glycogen. Muscle
glycogen is used to energize muscles during explosive movements
(sprinting/jumping); this makes carbohydrates a big deal for basketball players. Liver glycogen is used to maintain blood sugar levels
which can be robbed and depleted by hungry muscles deficient in glycogen stores, also know as “hitting the wall” or “bonking”. Once this
occurs athletes can only continue working at 50% maximal capacity.
Athletes should obtain 55 to 65% of their total calorie needs in a day
from carbohydrates. Because of your body’s preference for using
carbs as energy, a large portion of your intake should be around your
practice/games. Good sources of carbohydrates for athletes include
fruits, starchy vegetables (potatoes/corn), pasta, rice, breads, cereals
and fruit juices. Carbohydrates before a workout top off your glycogen
stores and helps maintain blood sugar. A high carbohydrate meal
containing 2-3 grams/kg of body weight should be consumed 2-3
hours before the event to give your digestive system time to break
down and release nutrients. This translates into 140-210 grams for a
70kg (154lb) athlete. Another dietary concern for athletes comes in
the form of consuming large meals directly before practice or athletic
competition; this can seriously hamper athletic performance. Your
stomach is a muscle and requires adequate blood flow to function just
like the muscles of your skeletal system. When you eat a big meal
and than exercise your stomach and muscles compete for blood flow
and can leave you bloated and drained. There is a good reason why
your mother always made you wait 30 minutes after eating before allowing you to go swimming. The closer to game time the smaller the
meal should be. During the game consuming 30-60 grams/hour of
fast-absorbing simple carbohydrates will maintain blood sugar, energy levels, and mental focus. Some good options would be fruit
(bananas, berries, etc.), sports drinks, fruit juice, other naturally
sweetened beverages, granola bars (one that’s high in carbs, moderate in protein, and low in fat and fiber), low fat yogurt, and jelly/jam
just to name a few. Another option frequently used by marathon runners on the go is energy gels; these are manufactured gel packs that
are highly concentrated in simple carbohydrates. Athletes should consume 1-1.5 grams/kg of carbohydrates within 30 minutes post exercise; this would workout to be 70-105 grams using the previous example of a 70 kg player. This will refill depleted glycogen stores and
assist protein in repair and synthesis of muscle tissue.
Protein: Protein is an important macronutrient that your body
uses in maintenance and repair of cells such as muscle and
connective tissue. It is one of the few nutrients that your body
dose not store and is therefore best when consumed in small
amounts through out the day. Basketball players should consume 1-1.2 grams/kg of protein each day; this should be evenly
divided through out the day’s meals when possible. Good
sources of protein include lean cuts of beef, chicken, turkey,
eggs, low fat dairy products, beans, soy and nuts. Whey protein
powders are a good source of protein and are easily digested
but do not provide extra benefits over whole foods (check with
coach prior to use). The most crucial time for an athlete to consume protein is after exercise. Players should consume 10-20
grams of protein post workout. With the assistance of carbohydrates protein stimulates muscle repair and protein synthesis,
which assists in recovery.
Fat: Fat is the major energy source of low intensity duration exercise, the fast paced environment of basketball makes this
macronutrient much less important than carbohydrates. Fat intake for an athlete should make up 15-25% of total calorie
needs. Fat is important in the production of hormones
(testosterone for example) and in the maintenance of cell membranes and therefore is still required. Rich sources of unsaturated fat should be emphasized and saturated/trans fat intake
should be limited. Good sources of unsaturated fats includes
nuts, olive oil, full fat salad dressings, avocados, and egg yolks
to name a few. A pre-workout meal consumed 3 hours before
your event should contain less than 26% of the calories as fat.
Fat slows digestion and therefore will hinder absorption of protein and carbohydrates. Post workout meals should contain little
to no fat for the same reason.
Supplements: There are many supplements on the market
today that claim to have the capability of improving athletic performance. However there is a major risk associated with their
use. According to the NCAA “Dietary supplements, including
vitamins and minerals, are not well regulated and may cause a
positive drug test result.” Any athlete interested in using supplements should check with their coach prior. Athletes should also check with their primary care physician to ensure there is no
possible reaction with prescribed medication or a preexisting
health condition. Either way no supplement can ever compensate for a poor diet. Make sure your following the diet recommendations listed above before even considering supplementing.
Sources
Bredbenner, C., & Moe, G. (2013). Nutrition, Exercise, and
Sports. In Wardlaw's
perspectives in nutrition (Ninth ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
NCAA Banned Drug List. (2012, April 10). Retrieved September
29, 2014, from
http://www.ncaa.com/content/ncaa-banned-drug-list
Stein, A. (2010, August 23). A Nutritional Guide for Basketball
Players. Retrieved
September 29, 2014, from
http://www.usab.com/youth/news/2010/08/anutritional-guide-forbasketball-players.aspx
Jeukendrup, A. (n.d.). SSE #106 Carbohydrate Supplementation
During Exercise:
Does It Help? How Much is Too Much? Retrieved November 4,
2014, from http://www.gssiweb.org/Article/sse-106-carbohydratesupplementation-during-exercise-does-it-help-how-much-is-toomuch-
Parker, H. (2010, March 22). A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that highfructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain. Retrieved November 4, 2014, from http://www.princeton.edu/main/
news/archive/S26/91/22K07/
Last Updated: February 2015