DRIVE Basketball :: Coaches Corner : The Dungeon

DRIVE’S 10 NUTRITIONAL COMMANDMENTS

To become a well-conditioned high performance athlete, it takes countless hours of training to develop your overall athleticism and an equal amount of time to perfect your skills and savvy for the game. What is often neglected but just as vital to the success of any athlete is how they fuel their body to optimize performance. An athlete can train as hard as they want but see only limited results in their athletic performance due to poor nutrition. Your body’s potential output is very much dependent on its input. Improper nutrition can lead to decreased energy levels, poor recovery from training sessions, nutrient deficiencies and worst of all, a decrease in athletic performance. By following Drive’s 10 Nutritional Commandments, you will be one step closer to reaching your athletic potential and, most importantly, one step ahead of your competition.

1. Eat a balanced diet – The basic nutritional requirements for a high performance athlete are ultimately the same as those of a regular person trying to achieve general health and prevent disease. Aim to consume an ideal proportion of carbohydrates (55-60%), proteins (15-20%), and fats (15-20%) on a daily basis. This will ensure adequate intake of all the essential nutrients and that the body is properly fueled for intense training and competition.

2. Jumpstart your day with a good breakfast – It’s true what they say… Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Always try to get the day started off right with a nutritious and balanced meal, as this will provide your mind and body with the energy it needs.

3. Water, Water, Water – The fact that water makes up over 80% of your total body composition, makes it the most important nutrient you can consume. Proper metabolic function and regulation of appetite and body temperature are a few of the main purposes this fluid serves. Aim to drink at least 8 tall glasses a day and even more on days when you are training or competing. Try to carry a water bottle with you so you can sip periodically throughout the day.

4. Keep total caloric intake high - As an athlete, you burn virtually endless amounts of calories during training sessions and competitions. In order to better meet the physical demands of your sport, it is not only vital to consume a balanced diet, but also a diet that is higher in calories in order to ensure adequate replenishment of energy stores.

5. Keep carbohydrate intake high during training - Your body has many sources from which it produces energy. As an athlete, most of your energy production for intense physical activity is derived from your carbohydrate (glycogen) stores. To optimize athletic performance and ensure efficient recovery, it is essential that carbohydrate intake stays high during training.

6. Eat frequently throughout the day – In order to keep up with the high energy demands of being an athlete it is important to continually fuel the body throughout the day with small meals and snacks. Large meals although filling and satisfying, will ultimately slow down your metabolism and create a tendency to store more body fat. The best plan of action is to try to eat a small meal or snack at least every 3-4 hours. The goal should be to feel neither hungry nor full at any point during the day.

7. Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after training and competition – During the countless hours of training and intense competition your body is losing large amounts of fluid through sweat and heat production. It is recommended that fluid intake (especially water) stays high to regulate body temperature prevent dehydration and muscle cramping.

8. Get plenty of sleep – Although not a nutritional recommendation, adequate amounts of rest and sleep are essential to achieving high levels of athletic performance. An athlete should aim for at least 8-9 hours of sleep every night for proper regeneration for the next bout of training or competition.

9. Everything in moderation – It is only natural to crave certain types of foods that may not be the healthiest for us (i.e. fast food, pop, potato chips, sweets). Rather than stressing yourself out and getting frustrated over trying to follow some strict diet regimen, allow yourself a treat from time to time (i.e. once /week) as this will usually satisfy your craving and is a more realistic approach to your nutrition plan.

10. Nutritional supplements provide minimal advantage – Research has shown that most nutritional supplements (i.e. protein powder, weight gainers, various vitamins, etc) have a marginal effect on athletic performance. Aim to eat a well balanced diet as your body can better absorb nutrients from real foods than from manufactured supplements. Although supplementation may have a limited impact on performance, certain nutritional supplements such as multivitamins may be beneficial to ensure adequate consumption of essential nutrients on a daily basis.

To submit questions for The Dungeon, email: isaac@drivebasketball.com