Every dedicated basketball player is intent on improving their basketball skills not only in the off-season, but year round. It takes tireless work and support to achieve your highest basketball goals through on-court skill development. But that’s only one part of working towards being the best version of yourself.
Many players don’t consider the effect nutrition has not only on their on-court performance, but recovery and strength building. In this blog, we’ll take a look at 4 ways your eating habits can positively, and negatively, impact your game.
Energy
Everyone wants to have optimal amounts of energy when they are exercising or practicing. And instantly consuming carbs is the first thing that comes to mind. However - not all carbs are equal when it comes to providing energy.
Simple Sugars or “quick carbs” are foods such as soft drinks, jams and jellies, candy, etc. that often provide quick doses of energy. These foods also have a lot of calories, and don't provide vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients needed to have sustained health.
Complex Carbs are foods that provide optimal amounts of nutrients, minerals, and fiber while being low in unhealthy fats. These are the foods you should be consuming more regularly and include pasta, bagels, whole grain breads, and rice.
Muscle Growth and Recovery
Nutrition plays a huge part in building muscle and recovering from your workout/training session. In order to reap the benefits of your hard work in the gym, you need to be consuming optimal amounts of protein and carbs. Our friend Jason Ivesdal at Higher Power Training says:
“Getting the right protein portion for your goal makes a difference in gains. A quick trick Higher Power Training teaches for estimating protein portions is to reference your hand size. If your goal is to lean out or maintain weight, a palm size portion of protein is key. If you want to gain more size, then you need a portion size that goes to your first to second knuckle on your hand. Use this trick for each meal.”
And the complex carbs talked about above also play a major role in supporting muscle growth and recovery because they help make a hormone called insulin. Insulin will help deliver amino acids from the protein, which are the key building blocks to building muscle.
Mental Stamina
While it's not thought about as often, a good diet also supports your mental health. According to the American Psychological Association - “gut bacteria produce an array of neurochemicals that the brain uses for the regulation of physiological and mental processes, including mood. It’s believed 95 percent of the body's supply of serotonin, a mood stabilizer, is produced by gut bacteria. Stress is thought to suppress beneficial gut bacteria.”
A healthy gut often relfects a better mood - which can benefit you in your future training sessions and allowing you to push through a long and grueling season.
Hydration
This one should go without saying, but staying hydrated is essential for peak performance. Consuming enough water along with the essential electrolytes can really make a difference in how well your body responds to stress, and the ability to keep going through the pain.
Water is the most important, and most overlooked, nutrient for athletes. Water is essential to keeping the body hydrated, and at the right temperature. Crazy but true - your body can lose several liters of sweat in an hour of vigorous exercise.
What you eat prior to a workout truly impacts your ability to withstand fatigue, and prevent injury as well:
“Carbs help hydrate the muscle. When a carb enters the muscle, it brings water with it. Hydration increases muscle strength in two ways. Hydration increases muscle size, thereby increasing strength. Hydration also increases the ability to synthesize protein. A hydrated muscle also is less likely to be injured.” - Jason Ivesdal
Eating and drinking the right things can have a drastic effect on your athletic performance. So if you want to be in the top 1%, make sure your nutrition is dialed in!
If you are looking for a specialized meal plan from an industry professional, check out our Off-Season Player Guide; where you can download trainer and nutritionist Jason Ivesdal's hand-crafted nutrition and strength program for aspiring high-level athletes.