NUTRITION IN BASKETBALL
Team sports are sports played by two or more athletes to defeat the athletes opposite them. The most common are football, volleyball and basketball. In team sports, although all three energy systems (phosphogen, anaerobic glycolysis, aerobic system) are used, the dominant energy system is the anaerobic system. Because explosive power and high-intensity muscle activity are often required during the activity. While the anaerobic energy system is dominant in high-intensity activities such as sprinting, throwing and jumping, the aerobic energy system comes into play during low-intensity activities during games. The aerobic system not only meets energy needs during low-intensity activity but also aids recovery.
Basketball is a moderate-to-medium active recovery or moderate-to-moderate exercise, including repetitive bouts of high-intensity activity interspersed with periods of passive rest. It can be defined as a long-term exercise. A bout is characterized by repeated explosive activities such as sprints, jumps and rapid changes of direction. In high-level modern basketball, players often have a limited amount of time to recover and must play consecutive games. To ensure adequate recovery after any basketball activity (i.e. match or training), it is necessary to know the type of fatigue induced and, if possible, the underlying mechanisms. Some recovery strategies are widely used in basketball, despite limited scientific evidence supporting their effectiveness in facilitating optimal recovery. Optimizing recovery is particularly important.
The accumulation of frequent matches and training determines match recovery and physical performance. Therefore, sports technicians pay more attention to methods that support player recovery. In this context, planning nutrition before, during and after a match or training session is a key variable for a player's performance and recovery period. Nutrition, training and competition are an important part of the program. Different organizations; The International Olympic Committee (IOC), the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the American Association of Dietetics (ADA) have developed an optimum nutrition recommendation. By being hydrated, it will help improve the athlete's physical performance and enable faster recovery after training and matches.
Often, the physiological demands of a match range from heart rate to amount of blood lactate concentration depending on the intensity of exercise. Additionally, video analysis methods can also be used to determine these needs. The demands determined by all these methods must be balanced with nutrition.
In team sports, differences such as the athlete's position in the game and body weight cause the energy requirements of the athletes to differ from each other.
Regarding the body fat rate. Accepted normal values range between 8% and 13% for male athletes and 16% and 20% for female athletes. The ideal ratio for basketball players should be even less.
The main factors affecting the performance status of athletes are proper training, genetic structure and nutrition. Nutrition is the most important environmental factor affecting the performance of athletes. They can only achieve this if they have sufficient knowledge about nutrition and reflect it on their nutritional behavior. Balanced and regular nutrition programs applied together with the training program increase the athlete's endurance and support the development of athletic performance.
The foods consumed by the athlete, that is, the nutrition style, affects the continuity of the achieved performance, success or failure. Approximately half of athlete performances and failures that do not reach optimal levels are due to improper nutrition. Getting high efficiency from athletes is possible with appropriate nutrition, taking into account the relevant training and sport branch. Although correctly selected and consumed foods will not affect performance in the short term. For example, it will not cut the 200-meter dash time in half. However, a difference can be made in a basketball player's performance with proper nutrition throughout the season. It is possible for the athlete to increase his/her fitness by training at high intensity in order to stay healthy and feel good spiritually. Meeting these conditions determines the difference between winning and losing.
Basketball is played by 5 players, 12-person teams each. It is played in two teams, each on the field and 7 in reserve. Basketball is played in 4 periods and 40 minutes in total; That is, it is in the form of 4 periods of ten minutes. An average basketball player spends 500-700 kcal in a 40-minute match.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates; It is used as the main fuel for aerobic endurance exercises with high intensity (> 65-70% VO2). It is one of the most important energy sources for athletes. Like basketball, running, sprinting, jumping, etc. In sports branches where repetitive and high-intensity exercises and endurance are combined, endogenous stores, namely glycogen, are used as the main energy source. Endogenous glycogen stores (muscle and liver glycogen) can be increased by carbohydrate loading the athlete. In this way, it becomes easier for the athlete to relieve fatigue and increases performance. It has been shown that consuming food before exercise increases performance in basketball. Consuming a snack before intense training prepares athletes for the upcoming event. Rules such as snacks consumed should contain plenty of carbohydrates, sufficient protein, be low in fat and fiber, and provide adequate hydration. The meal should be consumed 3-4 hours before exercise. Food consumed in this way leaves the stomach quickly. A full stomach may cause gastrointestinal problems and cramps during exercise.
Apart from the general information recommended, individual characteristics and needs should also be taken into account. Some athletes have pancakes, omelets, fruit juice, etc. 2–4 hours before exercise. While its consumption becomes enjoyable for them, serious gastrointestinal problems may occur in other athletes.
Since the training intensities and positions in the game will be different among athletes, carbohydrate requirements also vary. In moderate duration and low intensity training; 6-7 g/kg/day, in moderate to high intensity training; 7-10 g/kg/day, in intense exercise programs (4-6 days/week); 10-12 g/kg/day carbohydrates are needed.
Eating a carbohydrate-rich diet before training and competition both saturates glycogen stores and helps maintain continuity in blood glucose during activity. is happening. It is recommended to consume approximately 1-2 g/kg of carbohydrates within 2-3 hours before the game. Towards the end of the game, performance is negatively affected due to the decrease in liver glycogen stores and blood glucose levels. It has been determined that when carbohydrates are consumed during the game, the grip ability and game speed of the athletes increase. When a sports drink containing 6-8% carbohydrates is consumed during the competition (200-250 ml/10-15 min), adequate hydration is provided and 30-60 g carbohydrate consumption is easily achieved. At least 1.0-1.5 g/kg of carbohydrates must be consumed within the first 30 minutes after the competition and every 2 hours thereafter. In team sports that require high activity, 2.0 g/kg carbohydrates may be needed.
Protein
For professional basketball players, the daily protein requirement is 20-25% of the total energy. It can be calculated from 1.2 - 1.8 g/kg depending on the type of exercise. According to many studies, it has been stated that consuming protein-containing food in addition to carbohydrates after exercise increases the rate of muscle glycogen renewal and helps eliminate damage to muscle tissues. Although resynthesis of muscle glycogen is a priority during the recovery process, it is also important to provide amino acid support due to increased catabolism. Amino acids decrease in muscles after exercise. Protein synthesis is inhibited due to the decrease in amino acids. It is recommended that athletes take 0.5 – 0.75 g/kg protein after exercise to regenerate muscle tissue. It has been shown in studies that excessive use of protein or amino acids increases urine output and causes more fluid loss and dehydration, as protein is excreted from the body in the form of urea. At the same time, excessive protein intake leads to kidney and liver fatigue, calcium removal from the body and the formation of kidney stones. Although some studies support that excessive protein consumption increases muscle mass, it is known that it is removed from the body by the kidneys.
Fats
To the lowest body weight. Even an athlete who has There is enough oil storage to consume the oil. Whether fat serves as fuel during exercise depends on the intensity and duration of the exercise and the VO2 max capacity of the athlete. When fat is used as an energy source, it delays the emptying of the limited glycogen tank, which is the most important advantage of using fat as fuel. In low and moderate intensity exercises, half of the energy needed is obtained from free fatty acid metabolism, and fats are used by muscle cells as fuel to obtain energy. In addition, linoleic acid (n-6) and alpha-linolenic acid (n-3), which are essential for human metabolism, are extremely important for athlete diets.
Vitamins
Individuals who do sports have all the necessary nutrients. There is no need for vitamin and mineral supplements if the individual consumes the following groups adequately and balancedly. However, during intense exercise and training programs, consumption of B group vitamins, which are effective in our body's energy system, and some vitamins with muscle relaxant properties that support the immune system, may be recommended under expert supervision. When choosing athletes' supplements, their dietary history should be examined and the foods not consumed should be taken into account. The need for B group vitamins (niacin, thiamine, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and biotin), which are involved in energy production, is increasing for athletes in all sports branches. At the same time, some studies show that vitamin B1, B2, B12 supplements have an effect on the performance of athletes, such as reducing anxiety and positively affecting neurotransmitter functions in the brain. Antioxidant vitamins collect and purify free radicals in the body. The energy burned as a result of the overwork of the athletes' body also increases, which creates chemicals called free radicals (hydrogen peroxide: H2O2, lipid peroxides). These chemicals, known as free radicals, cause cell aging, damage, cancer and heart disease. Antioxidant vitamins E, A, C and trace element Selenium (Se) destroy these chemicals. The best source of antioxidants is found in natural foods. Since the sufficient amount and duration of use are not clearly known, the issue of extra consumption in the diet is controversial. At the same time, in cases where the need for antioxidant vitamins increases in individuals who do sports, this
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