BASKETBALL NUTRITION TIPS

You’re down by two late in the second half. The other team has the ball and the shot clock is ticking down. You need a stop and you need that ball back. A shot goes up and caroms off the rim. There’s a scramble for the rebound. If your team prevails, you have a shot at a tie or even winning with a three.

We’ve all been in games like this, whether it’s three-on-three basketball on the playground, competing in a recreational league — or for the elite few — playing for a national championship. Grabbing that rebound takes some luck for sure, but it also requires speed, agility, strength, endurance, and split-second decision-making.

If you’re low on fluids and your fuel gauge is reading empty, more often than not, you won’t beat your opponent to the ball. But if you’ve been replacing lost fluid and refueling as needed, you’re still playing at the top of your game, even in the final few seconds. So you anticipate the ball’s trajectory off the rim, time your jump, snag the rebound, and then whip an outlet pass down court to an open teammate who pulls up and drains a three. Game over. You’re playing another day!

What makes the difference between winning and losing in a tight game? Often, it’s getting a hand up on a shot attempt, making a steal, deflecting a pass, getting to a loose ball, or stepping up and taking charge. You hear coaches say that it’s about who wants it more. After you’ve worked your hardest to train and refine your skills, make sure that you play your “A” game and show that you want it more by preparing nutritionally prior to play, refueling and rehydrating during play, and promoting a full and rapid recovery afterwards.

Typical school and club basketball games feature two 20-minute halves, while professionals play 12-minute quarters. This time span reflects the length of live play. In reality, games last considerably longer, as the time clock stops briefly for substitutions, free throws, and when the ball is out of play, and for longer periods during time-outs and breaks between quarters or halves.

So, if you’re a starter playing major minutes, basketball requires endurance. And the strenuous conditioning work you put in during the preseason is a testament to the endurance component of the sport. But endurance alone doesn’t begin to fully describe the sport. In a basketball game or even a practice, much of your time and energy is spent overcoming momentum so that you can change direction, accelerate around a defender, or decelerate after a fast break. Achieving maximum running speed is pretty rare. Instead, you’re jumping, blocking shots, passing, and shooting the ball. You need strength to endure the heavy contact that comes with boxing out for rebounds and defending your opponent, especially in the paint. And it’s a sport that requires skill, concentration, court awareness, and decision-making.

In a time-motion study, professional basketball players were found to change direction almost 1,000 times during a single game, literally every few seconds. Players engaged in about 100 high-intensity sprints, or about one every 20 seconds while on the floor, and they averaged almost 45 jumps per game. Maximum heart rates were achieved repeatedly, and average heart rate while playing was about 170 beats per minute.

All this effort on the court exacts a physical toll. Athletes playing heavy minutes experience large losses of fluid and sodium due to sweating. And practices and games do deplete carbohydrate fuel stores. This can lead to low levels of muscle fuel stores if you’re starting with deficits from prior games or practices.

With fuel reserves running low and dehydration taking hold late in the game, maybe you don’t get as high on your jump shot, you’re not quite as quick off the dribble, or you find it even tougher to fight through screens and stay with your opponent when playing defense.

Fortunately, there are easy-to-implement sports nutrition strategies that can help you hold fatigue at arm’s length and keep you well-hydrated. That way, you can play your best right up until that final buzzer sounds.

The three most important principles of a sports nutrition game plan are to stay hydrated, to provide fuel for your muscles, and to promote optimal recovery after playing. Apply these principles correctly, and you can maximize the gains from your training and play your best on the court.