The best diet plans for basketball players combine nutritional foods that are good for everyone with special requirements for the demanding sport of basketball. An excellent general diet plan can be found at Hoops Vibe. As the site states, "A good diet strategy should aid in achieving and maintaining a healthy weight, be affordable, help ensure better long-term health, and must include foods that are commonly available and which the person likes."
Fundamentals
The fundamentals of a good diet plan for basketball players include meals that would help anyone in search of a solid nutritional plan. First, eat more vegetarian sources of protein, such as beans, hummus, tofu low-fat yogurt, nuts and seeds. Second, eat more fruits and vegetables, including at least one dark yellow, one red and one green fruit or vegetable every day. Third, eat more saturated fats, especially oils that are liquid at room temperature, such as olive, canola and peanut. Fourth, eat more whole grains and less refined grains and sugars. Whole grain foods such as breads, cereals, pasta, brown rice, steel-cut oats and barley are good choices.
Specific Needs
As the Ashbrook Athletics site states, a small high school female basketball player who trains 60 minutes per day may only need 2,000 calories per day. On the other hand, a seven foot professional center may require 6,000 to 7,000 calories. If you are a male basketball player training more than 90 minutes per day, you should consume 23 calories per day for each pound that you weigh. A woman basketball player should replenish herself with 20 to 23 calories per day for each pound that she weighs.
Pre-Game or Practice
Hydration for basketball players is critical, and dehydration can occur quickly in a practice or game if a player doesn't consume an adequate amount of water or sports drink. You should begin drinking water or a sports drink two hours before a game or practice. You should also plan to eat two to four hours before practice or tip-off. A meal plan for pre-game or practice includes vegetables, fruits, whole grains and a moderate amount of protein.
Game and Post Game
Continuing to hydrate yourself during and after a game or practice is an essential part of a basketball player's diet. During a game or practice, you should drink 4 to 8 ozs. of water or a sports drink every 15 to 20 minutes. During a two hour practice you will need to drink 32 to 64 ozs. of liquid. It's okay to eat a small amount of food at halftime of a game, perhaps a piece of fruit or an energy bar. Jen Ketterly, dietitian at the University of North Carolina, says that post-practice or post-game nutrition is extremely important in fighting fatigue and sore muscles. Ketterly recommends a post-game diet plan that involves eating an amount of grams of carbohydrates that is equal to half of your body weight in pounds. So, a 200 lb player should eat 100 g of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of the conclusion of a practice or a game This could include fruit -- a banana contains 27 g of carbs -- a sports drink, or any other healthy foods that are high in carbs and low in fat and protein. By sticking to this post-game diet plan, you won't pay the price the next day.
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