Meal Plan for Basketball

Basketball is a game where players have to be very fit and ideally lean to optimise their power to weight ratio. Amateur teams will practice a couple of times per week and players will also partake in weight training and cardiovascular exercise at the gym three or four times per week. Basketball is popular with all ages, so portion sizes will need to be adjusted accordingly and baring in mind your lifestyle.

To maximise performance, players need a good energy intake to ensure they have sustenance for long lengths of time. If you're intending to take basketball more seriously, then you'll need to have a well structured nutrition programme not only to provide energy for a training session, but also to provide fuel for recuperation for the next day's exercise and forthcoming basketball matches.

The meal plan below is an example for a typical basketball training day:

The above plan provides sufficient levels of all nutrients and sustained slow released low glycaemic carbohydrates to help provide energy for long and intense training sessions. Breakfast cereals, granary bread, crispbreads, new potatoes, rice and sweet potatoes will provide slow released energy throughout the day.

The plan is merely a general guide, and portion sizes will need to be adapted to suit your daily routine. Eat a range of different meats/fish, complex carbohydrates, fruit and vegetables every day, and drink plenty of water.