According to an article published by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2020, there are certain risks in consuming protein powders. These dangers are related to digestive problems and high sugar consumption in the long term. For this reason, nutritionists recommend prioritizing a balanced diet. In this sense, the diet plan should be built according to the caloric and energy expenditure of each person.
In particular, basketball players need a diet that provides them with high amounts of energy. With the help of sports nutrition professionals like ITW Sport, it is possible for each player to achieve a balance between their body, their diet and their training.
Sports nutrition in basketball
Basketball is a sport that requires physical and mental agility, as it is a high-intensity sport. For a player to meet the demands of this discipline, it is important that his diet provides him with all the nutrients and energy necessary to achieve a good performance. In this regard, glycogen is one of the most demanded carbohydrates, since it is stored in the liver and skeletal muscle. This allows glucose to remain in the blood and improve the general functioning of the organism. It also functions as fuel for exercise performance.
It is recommended that basketball nutrition be composed of at least 55% of calories from carbohydrates. These can come from fruits, vegetables, pasta, bread and rice. It is also necessary to add proteins. The amount will depend on the weight of the athlete. Likewise, fat is another factor that must be present, since it allows the synthesis of hormones and cell membranes. It is recommended to consume healthy fats such as olive oil, avocado and omega-3.
Finally, it is important to consider that the glucose reserve is depleted after a night of fasting. For this reason, it is necessary that athletes never skip breakfast before physical activities.
Performance and health with a professional
Nutrition always goes hand in hand with physical condition and the demands of the training in question. In the case of basketball, athletes have a much higher energy requirement than a sedentary person or someone who plays basketball. This is why professional help is required to find a balance.
ITW Sport has a Performance and Health Program dedicated to basketball players. This program is adapted to each athlete so that he or she can develop his or her skills to the maximum. To achieve this, professionals help to generate good eating habits and exercise routines that improve the physical, emotional and mental state of clients.
The idea of the applied coaching work is to assist the player to learn to know and regulate himself according to his caloric requirements.
