Athlete Nutrition

Part 1

Drew Cleary enters his 8th season in the NBA and is currently the Strength and Conditioning Coach with the Washington Wizards. He has worked with the Portland Trailblazers, the Orlando Magic and, individually, with Scottie Pippen and Monica Seles.

DEVELOPING AND MAINTAINING A LEAN PHYSIQUE

What I am about to describe to you is more that a "diet", this is a lifestyle change that feeds your body according to the activity level of your day. I like to call this lifestyle "flow". Flow is actually a psychological state that is most accurately described as the little experiences we have everyday doing something we love. It is the little buzz that we get that makes us love what we do. It could be as small as enjoying your kids, playing a guitar, or basketball. It is the motivation we have to do it again and again. It makes you feel good. As you get better at the skill you become more and more addicted. Flow is the reason you play basketball. When you get in "the zone" and nobody can stop you from scoring in a game, that high you are feeling is "flow". This style of eating I am about to outline is no different. It allows you to feed the energy systems your body needs to perform at your best, as well as creating the required energy to repair torn tissue from the workloads placed on your body from practice, games and weight training. When you feed your body the nutrients it needs at the time of day, your body wants the nutrients you will:

1. Develop a lean physique, which is more durable to the long basketball season.
2. Repair tissue that has been broken down from competition.
3. Reduce recovery time, which will reduce injuries.
4. Above all allow you to perform at your highest level.

If your body is in the zone physically, it will be a lot easier to get there psychologically. Your performance is based on the fuels you eat. If you don't believe me, don't eat at all the day of a game, and see how well you play. Here is how it works.

Each meal has two important factors. The time of day (breakfast, lunch, dinner) and what your upcoming energy requirements are for the day (practice, game, weight training, etc). Let us closely examine these two factors to better understand how this works.

First, each meal is designed to address the dietary requirements of that specific time of day. This means the body needs different nutrients at different times of the day. The meals of breakfast, lunch and dinner have specific dietary needs that these respective meals fuel. For example carbohydrates fuel the body's energy needs and proteins repair torn and broken down tissues. So, if you were about to run a marathon, you would not get up the morning of the race and eat a steak (protein). You need energy, you would eat carbohydrates. And, alternately, after lifting weights you would no eat pancakes (carbohydrates), your body needs protein to repair the broken down tissue from the hard workout. You can not fuel a steam engine with gasoline! A steam engine needs steam; a gasoline engine needs gasoline. The quality of the fuel is also important. If you put low octane fuel in your car you will get a low octane performance (less miles per gallon) and the engine will have a shorter life span (low octane fuels have more additives that clog pistons and eventually result in the engine having a shorter life). The type of fuel you put in your body is no different. If you put quality fuel into your body, it will burn cleaner, allowing you to perform at a higher level and reduce the wear on your body. This will enable you to have a longer injury reduced career. Charles Barkley and Karl Malone entered the NBA one-year apart. Who had the longer, injury-reduced, career? It does not take a rocket scientist to notice which of the two athletes took better care of his body.

Second, the types of food you consume should be selected based on the type of workloads placed on your body during the day's activities. For example, if you have performed a tough offseason weight lifting program, and then played basketball for two hours, you will need more calories to repair the tissue and replenish the energy stores depleted during the workout. If you are relaxing at home on Sunday, watching American football or soccer on a day-off, you will need substantially less calories as your body is at rest. If you are going to build a one-story house, you need about four feet of foundation to build the structure. If you were about to build a 100-story skyscraper you would need substantially more than four feet. And you would need strong material, don't try to build a skyscraper out of a plaster foundation. You will certainly need cement. Diet is no different. If you need strong proteins to repair broken down tissue, don't eat some crap. Don't bring a knife to a gunfight! Above, all you need to live by the following principle "eat to live, don't live to eat". You must feel good about each meal you consume that the meal is feeding your needs to perform at your highest level. This will propel you into the next meal. You are in flow. Here is how it works.

Athletes have specific nutritional needs at specific times of the day contingent on the activity levels of the day. I recommend eating specific meals based on the activity level. Obviously, the more you train the more calories you will need to develop your body. If you choose to put poor quality fuels into your body you will get mediocre results. Be specific about what you are eating and why you are eating it. If you have weight concerns, these dietary habits will work for you. Obviously, if you are over-weight, then your dietary habits are not the best to begin with. Let us start with breakfast, a very important meal.

MORNING MEAL (BREAKFAST)
(90% Carbohydrates - 10 % Proteins)

Breakfast is a key meal, because it gives you the foundation of energy that you will use throughout your active day. A lot of athletes do not eat breakfast. If you skip breakfast your energy levels will be low all day. The make up of breakfast has to be tailored to the energy requirements for the day. It is the meal that will get you to lunch. The energy required to get you to lunch is carbohydrate, specifically, complex carbohydrate.

On any typical day you will have practice, maybe lift weights, go shoot, have a game or in the off-season play pick up basketball. Either way, you will need energy to do these things. Predominantly complex carbohydrates high in fiber are optimal for this meal with a very small amount of protein. Reduce the amount of simple carbohydrate that you consume. This means a pop tarts, donuts, or even high sugar cereals such as fruit loops are out. The sugars in these foods are quickly broken down and taken into your body, usually leaving you very hungry in a relatively short period of time after consumption. You will be very hungry very soon because the nutritional value of the sugar filled foods are limited and short lasting in your body. When you eat carbohydrates your body produces insulin to break down the carbohydrate (diabetics inject insulin because their pancreas is unable to manufacture it). One of the other effects of insulin on your body is that it allows you to store body fat. The more sugar you eat the more insulin released by your pancreas, and the more fat deposits your body will be able to make. This is why the Adkins diet has been a success even though it is very dangerous. The higher the glycemic index the more refined carbohydrate or sugar the product has. We need to eat carbohydrates for energy but we have to be specific about which ones we eat. We want high fiber, low glycemic index foods. The below recommendations are cheap, good for you and will stay with you longer until you eat your next meal. Let me break down the breakfast menu.

Some of the best breakfast sources are outlined below.

1. OATMEAL
Oatmeal has been around for centuries. It is reasonably dense. By dense I mean it will stay with you during the course of the day. The oatmeal seems to sit in your stomach like a "brick" propelling you without hunger to the next meal. Although I also recommend cereal, it does not seem to last as long in your stomach as oatmeal. The number of calories per cup of oatmeal is around 150 depending on the company that manufactures the product. Oatmeal has a high amount of fiber which also helps with the hunger pains.

There are many different types of oatmeal. Once you have selected the oatmeal, you will need to prepare the stuff.

HOW TO PREPARE OATMEAL

Some people prepare oatmeal with milk. This is fine, but I would prefer you to use water. We can control the number of calories coming into your body better if you use water. If you want to use milk it is all right, simply factor the extra calories that are in the milk. If you are an athlete that does not have body composition problems (athletes that are trying to drop body fat) then using milk would be fine, more on that in a minute. If you are trying to drop body fat, do not use milk. After the oatmeal is cooked in either the microwave or on the stove (makes no difference) it is preferable to sweeten the oats with some yogurt. Why yogurt? Our stomachs have active bacteria that help with the digestion of foods. If you get sick and vomit (throw up), doctors will recommend yogurt as you recover, because it is soft (should you throw up again it comes up easy) and it replaces the lost bacteria in the stomach. It will help your stomach feel good. My preference is for plain yogurt as it has very little sugar. It makes the oats creamy, but not too sweet. Make sure the yogurt you choose has active bacilli. These are little bacteria that are present in yogurt that are also in your stomach. You may choose to use the flavored yogurts for a little extra taste. This is fine; just understand these flavored varieties have more sugar. Try to utilize the fat-free or lowfat varieties.

2. CEREAL

What you mix in with the cereal:

• Cows Milk - Most people put milk on their cereal or oatmeal which is fine. I would recommend the lower fat 2%, or skim variety if you choose milk. I would prefer you to use soymilk though for the following reasons.
• Soymilk - I recommend the soymilk for breakfast over regular milk because:

a. Lactose intolerance. Many people suffer from lactose intolerance, which means when you eat dairy products such as milk, ice cream or cheese you get diarrhea. Soymilk is not from a lactating mammal (cow); it is from a plant (soy), so lactose intolerance is not a factor.

b. There is no cholesterol in soymilk. We consume a lot of animal products during the day (chicken, pork, beef, fish, cheese, eggs). Milk is a relatively small and easy animal product to give up. Over time a quite substantial reduction in the overall amount of animal products that we consume. The silk series are probably the best. Be careful with the flavored varieties of soymilk, as they are higher in sugar. The stuff also lasts forever. It will not go bad for about two months.

• Berries - The morning is also a great time to eat fruit. Adding blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, bananas, etc, not only add great anti oxidants (anti aging vitamins) to your diet they also add flavor. Eat plenty of berries at breakfast. Eat plenty of fruit in the morning and eat NONE in the EVENING.

3. HOT BREAKFAST
Everybody enjoys a hot breakfast every now and then. This can be had occasionally. If you eat this everyday you are not going to have an athletic physique, I promise.

What about bread, bagels, and pastries?

I am not a big fan of bread and baked goods. If you are attempting to change your body composition then I would definitely advise you to drastically reduce the amount of bread you consume all the time. It seems bread is very easy to eat, as I am sure you are aware when a waiter brings you the breadbasket at a restaurant. Breads also have a high glycemic value that will cause extreme insulin release.

We just plain don't like bread. Try to stay away from it or at least reduce your consumption. If you are eating out don't let the wait staff even place it in front of you because I can guarantee, that if it is front of you, you will end up eating more bread than actual meal. Be polite but simply say "no bread thank you". With the current Adkins diet being so popular the wait staff hears that all the time.

The recommendation for breakfast is oatmeal or cereal. The reason for this is two folds. Firstly, oatmeal stays with the body for a little bit longer, meaning you will not get hungry as quick after eating. Secondly, the composition of oatmeal is very good; there are around 27 grams of carbohydrate, 4 grams of fiber and around 5 grams of protein. I think this is the best breakfast choice.

MID DAY MEAL (LUNCH)
60% Carbohydrates - 40 % Proteins

Lunch is a pivotal meal. In the NBA our athletes practice in the morning, usually. When you get up in the morning and eat some oatmeal, full of complex carbohydrates ready for the morning practice that is what the body needs at that time of day, energy. After practice we have depleted the body of sugar. We have expended energy and broken tissue down by running, cutting, stopping, sliding (this is the stiffness we feel after practice and games). So, after practice we want a blend of carbohydrates to replenish the lost sugar supply (this is also tomorrow’s energy supply) and protein so your body can begin to repair the tissue that has been torn down. The focus of this meal is to replenish the lost carbohydrate stores and provide protein to begin the repair of the tissue.

Lunch has three elements:
a. Carbohydrates
b. Proteins
c. Vegetables

A. CARBOHYDRATES
As we have expended a lot of energy during practice, we need to put that energy back. This meal requires a small amount of complex carbohydrate that is high in fiber. As mentioned in the breakfast portion, try to avoid bread as the complex carbohydrate source. The following are some acceptable forms of lunch time complex carbohydrate.

1. Whole Wheat Pasta - Whole wheat pasta has a lower glycemic value than the refined white pasta. That means there is less insulin produced by the body when you eat whole wheat pasta than white pasta. The less insulin produced by your body, the less ability your body has to store fat.

Special Note On Preparation. Do not cook the pasta all the way until it is sloppy and soft. The sloppier or softer the pasta the more you break down the bonds of the pasta and the glycemic index becomes higher (even in whole wheat pasta). Cook the pasta so it is still a little stiff.

This way the glycemic index stays down and your body has to work a little extra to break it down.

2. Brown Rice - When rice is harvested before being milled it is covered in a harder protective cover. As we mill rice the outer protective sheath (known as a husk) becomes worn down and the outer husk is slowly removed. White rice has had the entire husk removed. This is known as refining. Just as white pasta has been refined white rice is refined. White sugar has been refined from brown sugar. The following are some examples of brown rice.

Brown rice takes a little longer to cook, notice the cook time on the box of 30 minutes. Choose the rice that is highest in fiber.

When choosing your brown rice, look at the fiber content on the label. The higher the fiber content in grams the better selection of rice. As with pasta rice should not be over cooked either making it soft or “soggy”. Cooking brown rice will take longer than cooking white rice, because the outer husk is a little more resistant to the penetration of the boiling water. Cook it until it is slightly “crunchy”.

The following is an outline of the difference in fiber content between whole and refined carbohydrates. I know the numbers do not look to be that much but it is very important to select the highest fiber product.

Refined Carbohydrate

• White Spaghetti
• White Rice

Unrefined Equivalent Carbohydrate

• Whole Wheat Spaghetti
• Brown Rice
  

3. Potatoes - Potatoes fall in with bread and I consider potatoes a simple carbohydrate because it causes such a spike in insulin. We just plain don’t like potatoes. Everyone loves a French fry, which is OK occasionally. If you must have a potato every now and then try to get the baked variety with low fat butter and low fat sour cream. Make sure you eat the skin of the potato as this is where all the fiber is located. The white fluffy inside is very high on the glycemic index.

4. Bread - As mentioned in the breakfast section we don’t really like bread. But in the hustle and bustle of today’s world I understand that a sandwich is very easy to prepare and consume on the run. So, occasionally it is alright to eat some bread. If you must eat it try to utilize the breads that are highest in fiber, but even these are high on the glycemic index. Eat bread only occasionally at breakfast or lunch.

CARBOHYDRATE DENSITIES

Carbohydrates have densities. These densities range from low such as green vegetables through to high which is bread and potatoes at the top. The chart above is a break down of the carbohydrate densities.

Based on them, I think you understand the process. The harder you work on one scale the high up you can go on the other. If you are on a day off you are not going to need a big pile of rice.

You may still have a small serving but not as much as you might have on a training day. Common sense says you can have as much green vegetable and salad (use caution with the dressing) as you want here.

On off days you may want to eat some more yellow vegetable or even some beans (lima, navy, etc) instead of the heavier carbohydrates such as rice, pasta, potatoes.

CARBOHYDRATE DENSITIES

Density Level	Carbohydrate Source
1	Green vegetables (Beans, Broccoli, Peas, Spinach)
2	Salad (salad is great use extreme caution with dressings
3	Yellow vegetables (corn, squash, carrots)
4	Fruit (high in sugar, also high in fiber which is good, not at night)
5	Brown Rice, Whole wheat pasta the high density boys
6*	Bread (I don't like this as a source but its alright occasionally)*
7*	Potatoes (High glycemic index, seldom eat these)*

*Only on very hard training days should you eat bread and potatoes, never at night.

Rate your Day to determine carbohydrate requirements.

Level	Body Work Load for the Day
1-7	Hardest training day on my body in a while
1-6	Hard training day on my body
1-5	Medium training day on my body
1-4	Low training day on my body
1-3	Day Off no training on my body

 

For questions/comments, please write an e-mail to: drew@hoopstrength.com. For more information, visit www.hoopstrength.com, a free site for the development of strength and conditioning specific to the basketball player.

______________________________________________________________________________

 

 

This material has been copied under license from the Publisher. Any resale for profit or further copying is strictly prohibited.

Contact us | Read our Policies | Terms and Conditions | Copyright © SIRC