Basketball Nutrition Advice
Foreword
There is no doubt about it - what you eat and how much work you put in off the court will have a significant effect on the way you play during a game / season. With this in mind, here are a few basic facts and tips to help inform you, and hopefully affect positive change on your basketball performance. If you ever have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact me - I love this stuff!
Mark B.
Nutrition
Pre-Training / Match
2-4 Hours Before
Try to aim for foods that are going to provide a slow-releasing supply of energy - these are often known as LOW Glycaemic Index (GI) foods:
| Food | GI |
|---|---|
| Roasted and salted peanuts | 14 |
| Low-fat yoghurt with sweetener | 14 |
| Cherries | 22 |
| Grapefruit | 25 |
| Red lentils | 26 |
| Whole milk | 27 |
| Dried apricots | 31 |
| Butter beans | 31 |
| Fettucine pasta | 32 |
| Skimmed milk | 32 |
| Low-fat fruit yoghurt | 33 |
| Wholemeal spaghetti | 37 |
| Apples | 38 |
| Pears | 38 |
| Tomato soup, canned | 38 |
| Apple juice, unsweetened | 40 |
| Noodles | 40 |
| White spaghetti | 41 |
| All Bran | 42 |
| Chick peas, canned | 42 |
| Peaches | 42 |
| Porridge made with water | 42 |
| Lentil soup | 44 |
| Oranges | 44 |
| Macaroni | 45 |
| Green grapes | 46 |
| Orange juice | 46 |
| Peas | 48 |
| Baked beans in tomato sauce | 48 |
| Carrots, boiled | 49 |
| Kiwi fruit | 52 |
| Stoneground wholemeal bread | 53 |
| Special K | 54 |
| Banana | 55 |
| Raw oatbran | 55 |
| Sweetcorn | 55 |
These types of foods – even fruit (fruit sugar – fructose - is a simple sugar that releases energy fairly slowly!) will provide a sustained release of energy, as well as vitamins and minerals essential for health.
Try to ensure this main meal has some PROTEIN (e.g. white meat, tuna, beans, pulses) which will help delay fatigue and promote less muscle breakdown.
**Maintain FLUID – water – intake throughout the day – I have a litre bottle with me throughout the day, to prevent dehydration, and optimise performance**
30 mins – 45 mins Before
Now is not a bad time to “top-up” CHO (carbohydrates) before a game - aim for 200ml of Isotonic (NOT the really syrup-like Lucozade!) sports drink - you can make your own: Mix 200ml NO ADDED SUGAR SQUASH, 20-50g Sugar, a pinch of salt, warm (not boiling) water. Then, allow it to cool before placing in fridge to make it cold for training / match day - v cheap and effective!
During the Session / Match
- If the game / session is less than 60 mins in duration, WATER should be adequate for hydration and performance.
- However, if you lose a lot of water during sweating / the event is longer than 60mins of intense exercise, then ISOTONIC drinks may be best - this will help with replacing fluid and salt losses.
- You could try foods such as jelly babies / wine gums as a simple sugar boost during a time-out, alongside water for rehydration.
Post-Exercise
- THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TIME!!!!
- Your muscles and body systems have a 30-45 minute window when recovery and repletion of stores is at an optimal rate - make use of it! A lecturer of mine at university said that any performer should “eat and rehydrate BEFORE going to hit the showers” – this is backed up by significant volumes of studies and tests – the 30-45 minute “window” is a luxury – make use of it!!
- Fluid - water alone can be very boring, and quite often we don’t drink enough BEYOND thirst to ensure that we are actually fully hydrated! Therefore, quite often ISOTONIC drinks (they are legendary, aren’t they?!) are the best as they are flavoured, and help replace lost fluid, carbohydrates and potassium / sodium essential for muscle recovery and contraction / fluid regulation.
- Quantities vary from individual to individual, but I would recommend (a) 1 litre isotonic drink or (b) 1 litre water and some food source that contains sugar / salt – Kelloggs nutri-grain bars
- Continue to sip fluid throughout the hours after a game – alcohol will DELAY recovery (I know, boring, but true!)
- Carbohydrate – aim for HIGH G.I foods (those that release their energy quickly into the bloodstream): You will see that refined foods (e.g. WHITE bread and rice) are HIGH G.I even though they are complex carbs!
| Food | GI |
|---|---|
| Mashed potato | 70 |
| White bread | 70 |
| Watermelon | 72 |
| Swede | 72 |
| Bagel | 72 |
| Branflakes | 74 |
| Cheerios | 74 |
| CocoPops | 77 |
| Jelly beans | 80 |
| Rice cakes | 82 |
| Rice Krispies | 82 |
| Cornflakes | 84 |
| Jacket potato | 85 |
| Puffed wheat | 89 |
| Baguette | 95 |
| White rice, steamed | 98 |
- You need to aim for approx 50g CHO within that “window” to optimise recovery – about the amount found in 4 jaffa cakes.
- Protein – essential to take this macronutrient on board with you CHO in the “window” - I swear by whey protein shakes as a palatable, convenient method of taking on an easily-digested form of protein – try www.discount-supplements.co.uk for “special offers” on whey protein – you should be looking at £25 for a 5lb tub – about 80 servings of 20g protein! ONLY when you’re 18 years or more.
- Protein helps with repair and strengthening of muscles – use whey immediately after a session, but aim for more complex (slower digested) forms of protein in a main meal – this will help ensure a steady flow of amino acids to the muscles to help them recover! E.g. chicken, lean pork, beans, pulses, seeds, nuts etc.
Summary
- The correct types of foods and timings of intakes are crucial in supporting athletic performance. Simple changes in your diet can have massive effects on sports performance – alongside fitness training!
- Remember – fruit / vegetables are essential for general health, which will in turn allow you to perform to your best on the court and the gym. Try to fulfil the 5 portions daily!
- One piece of medium-sized fruit - eg, an apple, peach, banana or orange.
- One handful of grapes or two handfuls of cherries or berry fruits.
- One tablespoon of dried fruit.
- A glass (roughly 100ml) of fruit or vegetable juice.
- A small tin (roughly 200g) of fruit.
- A side salad.
- A serving (roughly 100g) of vegetables - eg, frozen or mushy peas, boiled carrots or stir-fried broccoli.
- The vegetables served in a portion of vegetable curry, lasagne, stir-fry or casserole.
- WATER, CARBS, PROTEIN - THE MAIN NUTRIENTS FOR PERFORMANCE.
-
Fats – have a bad press – definitely do NOT avoid the healthy fats for optimal health.
Unsaturated fat is usually liquid at room temperature and generally comes from vegetable sources. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are both included in this group. Unsaturated fat is a healthier alternative to saturated fat and can be found in vegetable oils such as sesame, sunflower, soya and olive; oily fish, such as mackerel, sardines, pilchards and salmon; and soft margarine, nuts, seeds.
Mark B's Basketball Nutrition Advice published by Woodley Basketball Club
