Diet Plan for a Basketball Player
You can't possibly survive on a juice box and an apple after continuous jumping and sprinting, as basketball is a tiring sport.
Of course, practice and physical training are two essential aspects of game preparation, but so is your diet plan. If you want to be the most active and sporty sport in the game, you need to step up your diet plan. A basketball diet plan comprises of several nutritious and tasteful foods.
For athletes, there are so many nutrition programs available that can help them enhance their performance. These programs consist of training, healthy diets, and physical exercises to speed up recovery processes. But why would you join a fitness program when you can make your diet plan?
The perfect meal plan for basketball players is easy to follow, as most of the diet items are what you already eat regularly. So, without further ado, let's enlighten you with the best meal plan for basketball players. Here we go.
Daily Fuel Requirements
In this category, we can consider the fuel needs of high-school basketball athletes. According to recent research, energy spending in high-level basketball athletes during the peak season was estimated to be around 3,500-4,600 kcals/day.
However, average energy intake is crucial for weight loss during the basketball season. Besides that, the primary source of calories is essential to fuel the muscle with the right kind of food.
Diet Plan Basics
Like any other professional and energy-based diet, a basketball player's diet plan is full of carbs and low in fat. The majority of carbs are rich in foods like fruits, milk, vegetables, and whole grains. Moreover, vitamins and minerals are necessary, as well.
When it comes to protein, beans, poultry, lean red meat, or seafood can fulfill your basic protein requirements. For the heart, prefer to eat healthy fats like avocados, seeds, nuts, and olive oil. The goal is to eat 5-6 times each day.
Some Healthy Habits
All athletes include stressful exercises into their daily routine, and these regular exercises can lead to inflammation and muscle damage. If you eat foods that are rich in antioxidants, then you can protect yourself from severe inflammation and recover your muscles healthily.
- Incorporate these healthy habits in your training program:
- Fill your stomach with food every four to five hours.
- Add vegetables, fruits, and lean meat to every meal you take.
- Take breakfast everyday.
- Go for less processed, high-in-fiber carbohydrates.
Drink or eat a mix of protein and carbohydrates instantly after each workout. With one gram of protein, add two-four grams of carbohydrates. A suitable choice for that category is skim chocolate milk.
Drink a lot of water. Besides that, regain electrolytes and fluids that you lost in your workout session with a sports smoothie.
By adopting these habits, you can look forward to a perfect NBA meal plan for yourself.
Morning Meal
When you're spending most of your day training slowly, you have to remain fueled and energized the entire day. A high-in carb morning meal to fill your day with health may include scrambled eggs with a wheat bagel, or a glass of low-fat milk and bananas.
When it comes to maintaining energy levels for your heavy-weight muscles, munch on a snack every one or two hours after the morning meal. Prefer to eat whole-grain cereal with a glass of low-fat yogurt and an orange.
Lunch For Protein
When it comes to the lunch of an athlete, it should be full of protein and carbs. Some of the best and healthy meals for a basketball player to eat would be a whole wheat pasta with the side of high-in-protein veggies, such as cauliflower or nuts.
Moreover, other foods like chicken breast, a protein fish like salmon, or brown rice can offer energy to the body as well.
If you want to make a few tasteful changes, sprinkle some cheese on your pasta and have a glass of orange juice.
Dinner for Energy
After spending an entire day in the hustle and bustle, you would want your dinner to be unique and energizing. For an athlete, dinner is the recovery meal of the day.
As it is nighttime, you may want to choose proteins because they will help you recover instantly. At the same time, avoid carbs, including pasta and rice.
Prioritize vegetables and protein meat. Eat foods like baked potatoes, fish, chicken breast, salads, or peas. To top everything off, a tall glass of low-fat milk is good too.
Midnight Snacks
Now, you may be thinking, what does midnight snacks have to do with the basketball player nutrition plan? Well, it has to do something. After dinner, it is crucial to eat meals in between. Midnight is the best time to munch a few snacks.
However, by snacks, we don't mean you start eating unhealthy junk foods. It is a good practice to eat high-in protein and fiber snacks, including whole-grain cereal and a cup of milk. Additionally, you can eat oranges, bananas, apples, and Greek yogurt.
Furthermore, before a game, prefer to eat whole-wheat bread with peanut butter and jam. As an alternative, you can also eat a banana with low-fat milk or Greek yogurt. Remember to eat these items before your game.
The Takeaway
Everything mentioned above is part of your basketball diet plan. In addition to this, you can even pick the foods you want to add to your permanent athlete diet.
If you strictly follow these habits, you will fall deep into them, enhancing your overall appearance and performance in the game.
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Diet Plan for a Basketball Player
Source: https://basketballscan.com/meal-plan-for-basketball-players/