Basketball Nutrition, What to Eat, Coach's Clipboard Basketball (2024)

FAQs

What is the best diet for a basketball player? ›

On a caloric basis, 45-65% carbohydrates (pasta, breads, fruits, cereal), 10-30% protein (meat, nuts, beans), 25-35% fat (oils, butter). Make whole grains, fruits, and vegetables a large part of your diet, because these foods contain more fiber, vitamins, and minerals than fried foods, pastries, chips, and soda.

Teams that must play more than one game per day or play in the evening and again in the morning should consume pregame meals that are high in carbohydrate, low in fat, and low in fiber. Breakfasts may include toast or bagels with jam, a small stack of pancakes with syrup, or ready-to-eat cereal with skim milk.

In addition to water, sport drinks or fruit juices are good choices. If your practices or games are late in the afternoon, right after school, make sure you eat breakfast and lunch that day. Some fruit like bananas or oranges one hour before the practice or game would be a good booster.

Oatmeal is one of the most affordable whole grains, perfect for hungry athletes on a budget. At least half your daily grains should be whole grains. Oats for breakfast give you a good start to reaching that whole grain goal for the day. Oats are a “safe” choice for a pre-event meal.

With NBA player favorites like salmon skewers, black forbidden rice, saffron vegetable paella and even staples like grilled chicken and asparagus, healthy foods don't have to be very complicated. However, simple and not heavy on the sauce, but still juicy and full of spice, is key.

Right Before or During

Water, of course, is the best option, but anything with electrolytes and potassium will benefit you. Sports drinks or protein drinks often have these nutrients, along with the right amount of salt and sugar to increase electrolyte absorption as you exercise.

LeBron likes to start his day with a protein rich breakfast such as egg white omelets, yogurt, smoked salmon, berries, and gluten-free pancakes. If he's in a hurry, or doesn't want to overeat, his go-to breakfast is a bagel with peanut butter.

Eat a healthy breakfast

Pairing carbs with protein, such as eggs, yogurt, milk, and peanut butter/nuts will help hold you over throughout your first game. Eating this heathy pre game meal 2-3 hours prior to your game is vital to topping off energy stores as you get game ready.

Should I drink a protein shake before a basketball game? ›

Loading up on protein and carbs before a workout helps keep you fueled to the finish line and keeps your body from eating up those protein pools during exercise so that it can tap into them immediately after.

Getting nutrients in the hours around exercise is important. If you don't eat before exercise, try to eat soon after exercise. Consuming protein can help repair your muscles and other tissues, while carbs can help restore your glycogen stores.

Cherry Juice - Playing sports can be very tiring on a person's body. Drink cherry juice for a faster recovery and to fight inflammation, so you feel great after a hard practice or game.

Night Before the Game: Carb-load and Avoid New Foods

Starchy foods like whole-wheat pasta, rice, potatoes, beans, broccoli, and grilled chicken offer a carbohydrate-rich meal that will provide the right fuel for the next day's event and protein to fuel recovery.

Simple carbohydrates, like sugar, are ideal sources because they are quickly absorbed and made immediately available to muscles, thereby fueling the body and helping enhance performance. On the other hand, complex carbohydrates typically take longer for our bodies to break down, resulting in a slower release of energy.

Curry follows a very basic nutritional principle that has worked for him throughout his illustrious career. This includes: Balanced diet: His meals consist of a well-rounded diet comprised of natural, whole, and fresh foods such as eggs, rice, fruits, and a variety of vegetables.

When he's training or getting ready for the season, James likes to incorporate a diet that limits processed foods, sugar, dairy, and foods high in carbohydrates. Instead, James eats lean meats, fish, fruit, and vegetables. This diet includes salmon, vegetable salads, chicken breast, omelets, and much more.

He would eat 70% carbs, 20% fats, and 10% proteins. Natural and mostly unprocessed carbs can be very healthy. Though some of the best athletes today, such as Messi, adopt a mostly vegetarian diet during season, Jordan ate lean meats. Lean meat can be a healthy source of protein.

Basketball 🏀 players don't normally eat anything during a game so they dont end up throwing up or feeling nauseous from alot of running. Only thing Basketball 🏀 players may consume during game time may be water or Gatorade or Powerade or electrolytes.