Basketball Nutrition And Dairy Products: An Alternative Take

October 26, 2014 By basketballtrainer

The Surprising Effects of Dairy on Your Daily Basketball Nutrition

I am a former college basketball player and during my freshmen season I had been struggling with severe digestive issues. It was so bad that any time our team went out to the track or had a longer workout or practice; I began to dread it instantly, knowing that my IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) was going to flare up forcing me to have to embarrassingly ask to excuse myself once again. It also made it difficult for me to perform with the level of intensity I needed to in order to keep up with the rest of the team, which was very disheartening.

I knew that I had a serious health problem, but I didn’t know what the underlying cause was at the time. Athletic trainers and team physicians kept telling me that it was all due to mental and physiological stress, but I wasn’t convinced. My life wasn’t very stressful and I just intuitively knew that there was no way that stress was the root cause.

It wasn’t until I heard a theory about dairy products causing digestive upset in some people that I began to wonder if I fell into this group of people. I began to do tons of personal research and based upon what I found which I will lay out in the following sections of this article, I made the decision to completely cut out dairy products from my daily nutrition plan.

The results I quickly achieved were outstanding – my digestive system began to heal and I was no longer plagued with seasonal allergies!

I’ve never had any digestive issues like that since and the fact that my seasonal allergies were eliminated as well was enough for me to continue focusing on limiting my dairy intake.

I would like it to be known that the opinions and beliefs expressed within this article are based upon my personal experience with the consumption of dairy products, specifically cow’s milk and are intended to provide a new viewpoint to the table based upon my opinion, experience and research.

Milk in our Basketball Culture

Milk has long been thought of as the healthiest non-water beverage that you can consume. Daily consumption of milk has long been promoted by the USDA and FDA as being the ideal source of non-meat protein and calcium to enhance growth development in young children and athletes as well as strong bones in the elderly.

We’ve all seen the “Got Milk!” advertisements and other commercial products heavily promoting the dairy industry as they’ve flooded us with over $300 million in advertisements each year. Many of these marketing campaigns have featured sports stars and movie celebrities reminding us to drink milk every day for all of its nutritional benefits.

For decades the American culture has widely believed and followed this popular general health recommendation – however, today there are many people that have begun to question the validity of these supposed healthy living claims as seen on the government regulated ‘Food Guide Pyramid’.

The potentially misleading information given about the nutritional benefits of dairy products is not the only thing that poses a potential health threat to those that consume it on a regular basis; an even bigger and nastier issue is the manufacturing process of the dairy products.

Artificial hormones and antibiotics are being pumped into the sick livestock which has contaminated the overall milk supply and the only way to make the milk from these sick animals saleable is to pasteurize it which kills off any pathogens. However, issue still remains since pasteurization doesn’t address the toxic overload issue in the supply that directly impacts the American public’s health and safety.

This article is not intended to bash the dairy industry, but rather to inform and educate basketball players to help them make the wisest nutritional choices possible to support their athletic bodies through building a wise nutrition plan.

Knowledge is power, and understanding the harmful effects that today’s dairy products can have on the human body is game changing information. Fortunately, in today’s health foods market there are several milk alternatives to choose from providing safer and more wholesome health benefits for basketball players and non-athletes alike.

Does Dairy Have a Rightful Place in a Healing Diet for Basketball Players?

Basketball players and athletes have high demands put on their bodies, so it’s important that they are only fueling up with foods sources that are going to keep it functioning effectively and efficiently while avoiding any sources that could potentially cause health issues.

While milk has long been touted as a very nutritious food source, the fact is that dairy foods are mucous producing agents that promote the growth of bad bacteria in the body. This auto-immune reaction interferes with the cleansing-healing process, making it practically impossible to allow your body’s own natural healing mechanisms to work optimally.

Dairy foods are very dense and high in saturated fats that challenge digestion, immunity and metabolism. Basketball players need to consider this alarming physiological truth because anything that is going to hinder those three basic bodily functions is certainly not something that you want to include in your healthy basketball nutrition plan on a regular basis because it could slow you down on the court so to speak.

In fact, over one-quarter of Americans are intolerant to dairy foods (lactose intolerant), meaning they will experience allergic reactions, very poor elimination and digestion (weight gain and constipation) and severe mucous build-up (inflammation). Sounds nasty right? That’s because it is.

Another startling fact is that dairy foods become harder to digest as we age because our bodies don’t naturally produce high levels of milk-digesting enzymes (lactase) and after we’re done nursing from our own mothers the need for this enzyme is no longer needed theoretically – unless you choose to drink cow’s milk consistently of course.

Despite whether your body is completely intolerant to dairy products or not, the strain put on the eliminative organs like the colon and urinary system is caused from the clogging that occurs over time due to the overproduction of mucous. Dairy literally acts like toxic sludge in the body slowing everything down for the worse.

Many people claim to gain higher, more consistent energy levels after greatly reducing or eliminating their daily dairy intake – this is directly related to the reduction in mucous and the improved functioning of vital eliminative organs. It’s safe to assume that all basketball players are aiming to keep their health in tip top shape and dairy doesn’t seem to fit the equation for a wholesome, clean daily diet.

What about all of the Nutritional Content in Cow’s Milk Building up Strong Bodies for Basketball Players?

Since the early 1990’s, the dairy industry has done a great job of marketing their products as an essential part of any health eating program by posting pictures of basketball legends like Michael Jordan and Shaquile O’ Neal all over media sources to influence young players to drink their daily intake of dairy to build up a strong body to help make them a better player – the raw truth is that this is all very misleading information.

Michael Jordan did not become the basketball great that he was because he drank milk every day. This is not to say that he didn’t drink milk, but he certainly didn’t get most of his daily recommended calcium from it considering that the human body doesn’t absorb dairy calcium well because of the pasteurizing and homogenizing processes it takes to make the milk safe for human consumption.

“A 12 year study, formally known as the Harvard Nurses’ Health Study finds that high intake of milk and other dairy foods does not reduce bone breaks or osteoporosis. The study found that instead that hip fracture risk was 1.45 times higher in women who drank 2 or more glasses of milk per day compared to women who only had one glass or less per week.”[1]

This study proves that homogenized milk is a poor source of absorbable calcium and has very low levels of magnesium to make matters less nutritious. Any good source of calcium will have a 1:1 ration of magnesium along with it to increase absorbability of the essential mineral. Instead, the protein found in cow’s milk may actually cause the loss of calcium via the urinary tract ultimately leading to poor skeletal health overall.

Another factor to consider is that conventional milk is not extracted from grass-fed cattle; instead the dairy cows are being fed artificial grains that are loaded with even more toxic substances making their way into your body with each sip.

The fundamental question in this instance is how can the milk from artificial grain fed cattle have significant amounts of calcium, minerals, and vitamin D when these minerals can only be present in the cow’s body if the cow is eating grass which is the original source of the minerals? It simply can’t.

On the contrary, The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that a diet rich in fruits and vegetables positively affects bone health.

In fact, studies have been conducted comparing the absorption of the calcium content in cow’s milk to that of vegetable sources. It was discovered that the absorption of the calcium from brussels sprouts was 63.8%, broccoli was 52.6%, kale was 50%, compared to only 32% from milk.

Leafy greens, other vegetables, nuts, seeds, fish and non-GMO soy foods have much higher amounts of absorbable calcium as well as other important minerals like magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and selenium.

Basketball players need the benefits from calcium and other minerals to help prevent sidelining injuries and illnesses, so you are much better off focusing on getting in your 3-5 servings of vegetables each day than you are by serving up a cold glass of cow’s milk.

The protein content in cow’s milk is equally as ineffective for the human body as its calcium content. Cow’s milk contains a specific protein known as bovine serum albumin and actually triggers an auto-immune reaction in the body causing antibodies to attack and destroy insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. This is why children who are given cow’s milk during infancy have a higher risk of developing diabetes later on in life as mentioned in the New England Journal of Medicine.[2]

Finally, the saturated fat (unhealthy fat) content in dairy is very dense, high and unhealthy. Even if you do choose 2% or 1% milk, you are still consuming 35% and 25% saturated fat per glass respectively.

The bottom line is that dairy products are not contributing to your muscle building and athletic efforts on or off the court in the weight room.

How do Today’s Dairy Manufacturing Processes Affect my Health?

“On November 5, 1993, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved genetically engineered Artificial Bovine Growth Hormone (rBST, rBGH, BGH) for commercial use in the United States.”[3]

These artificial hormones are used to increase the milk production of cattle in order to meet the high supply and demand of American dairy products.

Due to America’s surplus milk demand and dairy subsidies, it’s easy to understand why farmers would use these unnatural and health hazardous hormones to promote more milk production from their cattle.

Although the research is slimmer, the International Journal of Health Services does show that genetically engineered rBGH may promote breast and colon cancer in humans.

Europe and Canada already ban the use of artificial hormones in dairy cows, and has taken it a step further by banning the importation of U.S. dairy goods to their countries for this reason.

Despite the lack of scientific evidence, it’s safe to assume that common sense prevails over this matter – if only the United States had more of it considering that other countries clearly value the people more by putting the public health and safety of its citizens and livestock over the almighty dollar.

It is known, however, that cows treated with these artificial hormones have increased incidences of mastitis infections (inflammation, infection, cancer).

These infections start a vicious cycle by forcing farmers to treat the sick cattle with more antibiotics to keep them healthy enough to continue producing milk. If the farmers lose their cattle, they lose money and they are willing to do anything to keep that from happening.

“The Union of Concerned Scientists estimates that an astounding 24.6 million pounds of antibiotics are fed to animals every year to help fight illnesses that break out in overcrowded, unsanitary feed lots.”[4]

The over worked cattle’s swollen utters dragging on the manure-laden floors not only increase the risk of bacterial infections, but also contaminates the milk; in combination with the antibiotics given to the cattle to treat the infections which are also found in the milk, this creates more of a creamy toxic substance rather than fresh, raw, organic milk like nature intended.

The dairy industry’s solution to this problem is to pasteurize the milk, however pasteurization only knocks out the bacterial pathogens – it doesn’t address the matter of there also being significant amounts of hormones and pesticides still being present after the pasteurization process served straight to the American public.

The reality is that the diary industry’s current practices are not in you or your family’s best interests, it’s all to increase supply and demand for a profit by whatever means they have to do that – healthy and safe or not!

Is Raw Milk and Fermented Dairy Products Equally Unhealthy?

Raw milk is a much healthier choice to make if you are going to continue using dairy products in your basketball nutrition plan. Raw milk can only be found at your local farmer’s market or through a private farmer, but is definitely the way to go.

Fermented dairy products like kefir and yogurt are also healthier dairy products. They are cultured foods that present health benefits by providing the body with significant amounts of healthy bacteria (probiotics) and absorbable calcium for the body. These fermented foods are actually considered living because they contain intestinal flora that aide the digestive process, and since the lactase enzyme is not needed to breakdown these forms of dairy products they are much easier to assimilate and absorb than milk, cheese or butter.

There are no health issues with continuing or adding these forms of dairy into your nutrition plan unless you are completely intolerant to lactose.

What Healthy Milk Alternatives Should Basketball Players look for?

Just because the dairy industry has fallen to the wayside, it doesn’t mean that you can’t still enjoy your favorite cereal, smoothies, shakes, ice cream and baked goods. The creamy consistency of milk is what makes it so enjoyable and while it’s obviously not the best idea to continue rushing out to the grocery store to buy another gallon when you’ve run out, it is a good idea to start looking to healthier milk alternatives that actually do provide nutritional benefits for your basketball body and nutrition plan.

Listed below are the most nutritious milk alternatives found on the market. All of them can be substituted for milk in all recipes and are excellent served in many of your traditionally milk-based treats like smoothies and ice cream. These milk alternatives are made using highly nutritious nuts and seeds and offer the benefits of healthy fats, protein, minerals, vitamins as well as being free from artificial sugars.

There are so many options available that you are destined to find one that suits your consistency, texture, and taste needs. Many of these alternatives are also found in vanilla and chocolate flavors and are sweetened using natural cane sugar, which still amounts to much less than that found in conventional cow’s milk.

If you are interested in making your own nut or seed milk, there are easy recipes online for making them at home as well.

Flax Milk – rich in healthy omega-3 fats, flax milk is made using flax seeds and is a great option for those looking for a creamy consistency with a slightly nutty taste. Flax milk is lactose, cholesterol and saturated fat free making it an ideal choice for replacing your cow’s milk with. The only pitfall to flax milk is that it doesn’t contain any protein, however you can find it with fortified protein if you desire.

Hemp Milk – this milk alternative is made using hemp seeds and is very rich in omega-3 and omega-6 healthy fats. It is also a great source of amino acids, providing about 4 grams of protein per serving. Hemp milk contains 46% of your RDA of absorbable calcium and is also rich in other vitamins and nutrients like Vitamin A, E, B12, folic acid, iron and magnesium.

Coconut Milk – great for adding to smoothies and ice cream recipes, coconut milk offers a delicious milk alternative. Coconut milk is made from the meat of mature coconuts and is easy to digest. You will benefit from drinking coconut milk because of the healthy fat content, antioxidants, Vitamins C, E and B, as well as minerals like magnesium, potassium and phosphorous.

Almond Milk – one of the most popular milk alternatives, almond milk, is known for being a low-calorie, saturated fat and cholesterol free beverage that can also help maintain healthy blood sugar levels. Offering the nutritional benefits of calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and fiber are a few other perks to including this in your daily basketball nutrition plan.

A few honorable mention milk alternative products include soy milk, rice milk, quinoa milk and cashew milk that all are great options.

Although cow’s milk and other dairy products have long been a staple in the traditional American diet, many people are now turning to healthier, less toxic alternatives in order to prevent the risks associated with consuming today’s conventional dairy.

Basketball players need the best nutrition possible to maintain a healthy body and immune system during the season and the current facts and studies point out some valid reasons to reconsider your choices for dairy as part of your daily nutrition plan. By focusing on getting your daily servings of fruits, veggies, and other wholesome foods as well as trying out some of the milk alternatives mentioned, you are on your way to getting enough calcium, protein and other minerals necessary to support your basketball health goals on and off the court!

[1] Healthy Healing, 14^th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 156

[2] Healthy Healing, 14^th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 155

[3] http://milk.procon.org/view.timeline.php?timelineID=000018

[4] Healthy Healing. 14^th ed. Page, Linda. Pg. 158

Note from Basketball Trainer Publisher Chris Corbett:

When Danielle first sent me this article, I was taken aback a bit as it challenged several of my own beliefs. After reading it a second and third time I thought it was important to share this article with our audience for a few reasons:

Many people have digestive issues and struggle with it during training. This might shed some light on their struggle.
We all need to take a better look at the sugars we consume as they are hidden in many products we view as “healthy.”
This article provides a starting point conversation that should continue with your doctor and parents (if you are a minor.) Everyone has a different digestive system but after consulting a doctor, education and monitoring thru the use of a basketball nutrition food journal you should be able to make strides to improve your overall health and your game. Looking at dairy intake can be one factor.
The world needs to be aware of the power that mighty lobbying groups have on our daily basketball nutrition. Danielle brings a fresh voice to challenge our assumptions and make us think at the supermarket.
We welcome a response from the dairy industry or trainers with a different viewpoint if it can expand the breadth of this dialogue. We will be contacting the dairy industry to hear their response and hopefully get to share that.

Basketball Food Journal – Keep One & Get Ahead In The Game!

October 20, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Basketball Food Journal – What is That?

A basketball food journal, also known as a food log or food diary, is a daily form that serious players in basketball training use to track your nutrition intake over a set period of time.

I believe that all basketball players should keep a daily food journal for at least 2 weeks out of every month, if not just making it an ongoing part of their basketball nutrition strategy.

Keeping a food journal is fairly simple, yet does require an increased commitment to logging everything that you eat and drink for a set period of time. You can choose to either create your own personal food journal, buy or find a pre-made one online or even use a phone app such as My Fitness Pal. Whichever way you decide to go with logging your daily nutritional intake, be sure that it makes the most sense for your lifestyle and personality so that you will stick with it in the long run. We also recommend periodically sharing your food journal in your discussions with your basketball trainer so they can help you pinpoint between your peaks and valleys in performance.

A basic food journal for basketball players should at the very least include: what you are eating (try to be as specific as possible), what time you ate each meal/snack, a way to track your water intake, how much time has passed between each meal/snack, how you felt before and after you ate. More detailed journals centered on meeting specific goals like increasing muscle mass or reducing body fat percentage should include things like total calories along with fat, protein and carbohydrate content of each meal.

The most convenient time to log your food and fluid intake will be different for everyone. Some players may find it easier to jot things down after each meal and snack as they go along in their days, while others may have more success doing it all at the very end of their day. The only potential problem to waiting until the end of the day is the chance that you might forget to include something.

Making the decision to commit to tracking your nutritional intake as a basketball player can have a very positive impact on your overall health which will translate into your performance on the court. How can you know whether or not you are consistently fueling your body with the right types and amounts of foods if you don’t take the time to review your days and weeks? The bottom line is that you can’t, while it is effective to always choose as healthy foods as possible, sometimes it’s easy to overlook the fine details of your diet that could be causing you to perform at less than your best.

I’d like to share with you my top 4 reasons why every basketball player should keep a food journal at least from time to time.

Recognize patterns in your daily eating habits and basketball performance
– unless it’s written down, often it’s easy to overlook small details in your eating habits. Keeping a food journal will help you distinguish between what you think you may or may not be doing on a regular basis in your diet in comparison to what you actually are. For example, having everything written out will help you to pinpoint patterns like what kinds of food you tend to eat at certain points in the day, times that you may be waiting too long to eat your next meal or snack and you might even be surprised at your actual water intake.
Achieve specific basketball nutritional goals
– it’s difficult to achieve any goal without being able to measure success. A daily basketball food journal is a strategic and wise way to set yourself up to create the daily nutrition to meet your goals. Whether you are wanting to increase your muscle mass or even reduce some unwanted body fat, it’s important to know what and how much you are eating each day. Specific goals require specific action and a food journal is the easiest, most effective way to face the reality of what you are or aren’t putting into your body to get you to where you want to be physically to support your basketball performance in the least amount of time.
Plan your pre- and –post basketball workout meals
– on the days that you are busy, it can be easy to overlook the importance in fueling your body properly before and after a basketball practice, workout or game. Keeping a daily food journal can be especially helpful with you being able to choose the best foods and supplements to fuel your body with. Logging what you are eating before you play will allow you to see which foods give you more energy and which foods seem to slow you down out on the court. Also, it’s a great way to hold yourself accountable for getting in the best post workout nutrition possible after exerting yourself physically for hours. These two meals are the most important meals that a basketball player will eat aside from breakfast, so it’s important to recognize what you are fueling your body with consistently.
Keep up with your daily supplementation
– aside from food, including regular nutritional supplementation in your basketball game plan like taking a daily multi-vitamin can be incredibly beneficial. With so many things to remember in regards to healthy eating, sometimes remembering to take your supplements can slide under the radar. Including these in your daily food journaling efforts can help you keep up with what and when you need to take your nutritional support products each day.

As you’ve now learned, sometimes getting a little more pro-active with your basketball nutrition goals by keeping a periodic food journal can really elevate you and give you a strategic advantage to success. It’s always easier to make changes when you know exactly what areas you need to work on, rather than feeling like you’re drowning in changes that need to be made without any real idea of where to start.

Get ahead of the game and grab your pen and basketball food journal for healthier and more effective basketball nutrition!

Power Up Your Basketball Diet with Protein

August 31, 2014 By basketballtrainer

What Is Protein and Why Is It Important for Basketball Players?

Proteins are chains of molecules that are vital to life. Named more than 150 years ago after the Greek word proteios (meaning of “prime importance”), proteins have been studied and found to hold the answers to many physiological questions about the human body.

Protein is the second must abundant substance in the body, aside from water, and makes up roughly 18-20% of a person’s total body weight. In fact, it can be found in every single one of the trillions of cells that make up the human body.

Protein is a macronutrient along with carbohydrates and fats, meaning that it provides calories and energy for the body –providing 4 calories of energy for every gram consumed.

Unlike healthy carbohydrates, which mostly benefit the metabolic system; protein plays a key role in several functions of the body including: immune function, achieving a healthy pH balance, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, transporting nutrients, supporting growth of muscles and maintaining healthy muscles, as well as building enzymes, hormones and other important chemical compounds in the body.[1]

As you can see, protein’s role in the body is much broader than simply supporting healthy muscles which is why it’s so important to take this macronutrient seriously!

What are the building blocks of proteins?

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein and are classified as either essential amino acids or non-essential amino acids. The body can make about half of the 20 amino acids that it needs which are known as the non-essential amino acids. The other 10 that the body cannot product on its own, known as essential amino acids, must be attained through diet and supplementation in order to keep up with the demands of a basketball body.

There are three essential amino acids that are classified as ‘branched chain amino acids’, more popularly referred to as BCAA’s. These three amino acids include L-leucine, L-isoleucine and L-valine, which are particularly important to basketball players and athletes as they play a big role in muscle recovery and new muscle tissue synthesis.

L-arginine is another essential amino acid that is popular for being the pre-cursor to nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator meaning that it will cause the blood vessels to expand and allow for increased total blood circulation to the entire body. Where blood flows, so do nutrients, vitamins and minerals for faster, more effective recovery. As L-arginine converts into nitric oxide, the stimulation of the release of the human growth hormone (HGH) from the pituitary gland also which means that the body is going to be able to grow bigger, stronger muscle mass in much less time than someone who is deficient in this particular amino acid.

Amino acids are what make protein so unique. You can attain all of these amino acids through your diet, however many people do choose to add nutritional supplementation in order to give themselves a natural, healthy protein boost. This can be beneficial especially after a longer than normal workout or on those days when you feel like you are dragging because of consecutive intense training days. It’s always better to focus on taking a full amino acid profile nutritional supplement rather than isolating specific amino acids since this can cause an imbalance in overall levels overtime.

Why is protein so important for basketball players?

The lifestyle of a basketball player is incredibly demanding. Aside from being under loads of stress and pressure to maintain good grades and healthy personal and professional relationships, the body must undergo hours of physical wear and tear so to speak. The entire body is left depleted often after basketball workouts, practices and games and is need of important protein replenishment. Without the right amount of protein to support your basketball body, you will be left with a weakened immune system, less muscle mass, as well as being more likely to fill your diet with too many carbohydrates and fats which can lead to an undesirable body fat percentage.

On the other hand, players who are getting enough quality protein each day in their diets will more easily build strong, lean muscles in the weight room as well as maintaining an ideal body fat percentage to support their endurance efforts out on the court. Basketball weight training is essential to college basketball dreams and protein fuels that growth and dream.

Basketball players ought to keep a close watch on their daily protein intake to build up a healthy body and to help the body recover after intense physical activity. Keeping a food journal is an easy way to track your exact protein amounts and also the timing of your protein consumption throughout the day.

How much protein do basketball players need?

You might be wondering exactly how much protein you should be getting as a basketball player every day.

Most nutritionists and dieticians are going to recommend that you reserve at least 20% of your daily diet for your protein consumption. However, the easiest way to determine exactly how much you should be getting is based upon body weight.

Here is a simple formulation that can help you set a daily target goal:

Take your body weight in pounds and divide it by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms. Then, multiply your body weight in kilograms by 1.8 to get the number of grams of protein per day you should strive for.

Also note, a recent Canadian study determined that highly active athletes should be consuming a little bit more than the average person, at anywhere from 1.8-2.8 grams of protein per 1 kilogram of body weight. [2]

Many athletes thrive on a slightly higher protein intake than a person who is only moderately active or sedentary considering that athletes are constantly having to rest and recover their muscles and body.

What types of protein should basketball players consume?

After calculating the minimum amount of protein you should be consuming each day, go ahead and jot it down in your food journal as you begin tracking your daily intake to ensure that you’re getting enough.

You can easily get enough protein each day from your diet.

Some proteins are classified as ‘complete proteins’, while others are known as being ‘incomplete proteins’. Complete proteins are sources that contain a full profile of amino acids, while the incomplete proteins contain only a few of the amino acids necessary for basic bodily functions. It’s important that you get plenty of complete proteins from both animal protein choices and some plant-based choices like quinoa, hemp, chia and brown rice.

American culture tends to lean towards animal proteins as primary sources, however in order to lead the healthiest lifestyle possible, you are going to want to mix up your daily protein intake with both animal and plant-based sources.

Stick with most of your animal protein choices coming from sources like turkey, chicken, fish and eggs. If you’re going to go for beef or pork, just be sure that you pick the leanest cuts possible, otherwise the fat content of those meats can ultimately make them not worth adding into your healthy basketball diet.

Plant-based sources of foods can provide with you just as much protein as animal sources can along with a full amino acid profile and much less fat. Go for whole foods like quinoa, buckwheat, hemp seed, chia seed, soy, Ezekiel bread, beans, legumes, seeds, nuts and brown rice to stay on top of your protein needs.

What about protein shakes, drinks and bars supplemented into the diet?

While it is very possible for most of your daily protein needs to be met through your actual food sources, you’ll find that most highly active people still choose to supplement protein into their diets through shake mixes, pre-made drinks and bars.

The great thing about supplementing protein into diet like this is that there are some really quality products out there that can give you 20 or more grams of protein in one single serving.

Most athletes add in the protein powder mixes, because they are delicious, lower sugar and can be taken on-the-go and simply mixed with your choice of water, milk or a milk alternative. Some of the shake formulations are complete meal replacements featuring vitamins, minerals and superfoods and superfruits while other products are just protein. Still others look to smoothies to add or maintain weight in baksetball training. Here is a good resource for that: Basketball Smoothie Recipe. It’s all in what you feel like you need, but these can be a smart way to go to support your basketball protein needs!

A few of my top protein shake mixes are:

Genesis PURE’s Complete Shake (http://www.genesispure.com/products/display/2087/complete-shake)
Genesis PURE’s Sports Recovery Shake (http://www.genesispure.com/products/display/2082/recovery)
Vega Sport Performance Protein (http://vegasport.com/product/performance-protein/)
Sun Warrior Warrior Blend (http://www.sunwarrior.com/store/)

Protein bars are another convenient, easy way to get in extra protein when you need it most! Be careful to double check the sugar content of the bars you are consuming, because many brands contain anywhere from 15 to 24 grams of sugar per single bar, which takes away from the nutritional value of the protein content. Other than that, be sure to fill your sports bag with them, because they can be an ideal mid-practice snack or even a quick pre-workout boost that you are needing to fuel your body for practice or a game.

A couple of my favorite healthy protein bars include:

Quest Bars (http://www.questnutrition.com/protein-bars/)
Power Crunch Bars (http://powercrunch.com/products/energy-bars/original/)
Vega Sport Protein Bars (http://vegasport.com/product/protein-bar/)

What is the difference between Whey, Casein, Natural and Blends of Proteins?

When you walk into any nutritional supplement store like the Vitamin Shoppe or GNC, you will notice that there are different types of protein powders to choose from which can be very confusing.

The distinct difference between the different kinds is that whey and casein are derived from cow as a by-product of cheese, while natural proteins come from plant-based sources like quinoa, soy, hemp, chia, brown rice and other grains and sprouts. So if you lead a more plant-based diet, the obvious choice is to stick with the natural proteins.

You will notice that most whey protein these days is hydrolyzed whey, which basically means that it is partially pre-digested for faster assimilation and absorption in the body. Many heavy weight lifters like to use whey so that they can gain an almost instant protein boost any time they might need it.

On the other hand, casein protein is a more slowly digested and absorbed protein that many athletes will take before bedtime so that the body has protein to utilize over the course of the night. Not too many people actually use just casein by itself aside from athletes who are heavy weight lifters, but it is more popular for athletes to use casein in general if it is in a protein blend.

Blended proteins are pretty straightforward and are not specific to the milk derived or plant-based protein sources. You can find whey and casein blends, as well as natural protein blends that combine the above mentioned proteins together as well. Your natural blended proteins are also going to be your complete meal replacement products, which are a very wise choice since they can provide the vitamins, minerals and nutrients that protein specific supplements cannot.

According to a study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology, researchers at the University of Texas Medical found that compared to whey, a combination of soy (25%), casein (50%), and whey (25%) after a weight-training session delivered amino acids to muscles for an hour longer. This suggests that muscle building goes on for a longer period of time with the blended formulations then with whey by itself.

Protein is a big part of our society, while some people are consuming too much, others not enough. As a basketball player, it’s your responsibility to know exactly how much protein you are getting each day to meet your needs. Start by calculating what you need and then begin to keep track and consider your sources. Are you consuming too much or too little? Could you benefit from adding more plant-based or animal sources of protein into your diet? Do you think that keeping protein supplements handy might enable you to stay on top of your daily intake in situations where you need a boost? All of these are things to start considering as you refine your basketball diet to help you build a strong, lean body that can make you a better basketball player and athlete!

Get Started Adding Quality Basketball Protein To Your Diet Today!

[1] Nutrition Concepts and Controversies, pgs. 186-194

[2] http://www.wikihow.com/Determine-How-Much-Protein-You-Need

Basketball Training And Multivitamins – Take It To The Next Level

August 18, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Take Your Basketball Nutrition to the Next Level with the Right Daily Multivitamin

Your nutritional game plan is just as important as the development of your skills out on the court. From the types of foods you choose to include in your daily diet, the fluids you decide to hydrate yourself with and the nutritional supplements that you fill in the deficiencies with are all key to maintaining a healthy athletic body and mind to play basketball at your best.

With so much information out there about supplements and multi-vitamins it can be difficult to know who to believe or what products are going to be worth the investment and your time in taking them.

My goal within this article is to help answer those questions and give you a clearer picture of what’s really going on within the supplement industry and how taking the right kind of multi-vitamin can greatly impact your daily basketball nutrition.

The Truth Behind the Vitamins Research and Studies

Nearly half of Americans are currently taking some sort of multivitamin product and will continue to do so because of their belief in its ability to improve their overall health and well-being.

However, many medical institutes dispute the effectiveness of taking a daily multivitamin based upon government funded research. There is a lot of controversy over the validity of these studies in that they are conducted using only pharmaceutical grade synthetic or “man made” vitamins when there are numerous multivitamins on the market today that provide all-natural, plant and food sourced vitamin and nutrient sources. Despite these big pharmaceutical driven companies’ technical efforts, there is much “unproven evidence” that taking a food and plant-sourced multivitamin can have outstanding health benefits on one’s health.

An important thing to understand about the supplement industry is that it is heavily regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. The FDA has been known to be overly rigorous on supplement companies for what they can and cannot say about the health benefits of their products like multivitamins. If the supplement company can’t provide a clinical trial that meets the FDA’s narrow standards than the product is simply considered to be unproven and cannot be associated with any distinct health benefits despite smaller studies having been performed proving otherwise. Sadly, those studies and research are simply not recognized and are disregarded by the FDA.

Most people don’t realize that performing a full clinical research trial is not an easy feat since it is an incredibly expensive procedure costing anywhere from 10-33 million dollars total. [1] The ongoing dilemma for more natural companies and products ends up being that they cannot afford to run the appropriate clinical trials required by the government to have their products honored and published as valid.

Another perspective to consider is that the companies and people who do have the large sums of money to fund these clinical trials are not willing to invest in the research behind natural, plant and food based products. This is because if research began to emerge proving that their effectiveness was equivalent or greater to the pharmaceutical drugs and vitamins that they are invested in, than they would ultimately lose money due to the inexpensiveness of the plant-based alternatives.

Why Do I Need a Multivitamin as a Basketball Player?

Vitamins, minerals and nutrients are all compounds found within the fresh foods that we eat like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. While it is very important to maintain a daily diet that includes all of these categories, the nutritional issue that current society is posed with are the toxic and depleted soils that conventional store bought foods are grown in.

This depleted and toxic soil issue means that no matter how healthy or organic you think you are eating, you are still going to be barely getting by or even be deficient in at least a few key vitamins, minerals or nutrients.[2]

This health concern is not biased to any age group – children, teens, young and middle aged adults, seniors and basketball players alike ought to consider this known fact and fill in those nutritional gaps with an effective daily multivitamin!

Keep in mind that nutritional supplement manufacturers are able to partner up with companies that grow herbs and plants in more nutritionally enriched, pesticide-free soils to be used within their products. Some companies pay very good money to have these nutrient enriched and toxin-free crops in their products to offer to you!

Also, herb and plant sources of vitamins and minerals that we are either unable to purchase fresh in a grocery store because they are completely foreign to our area or that we normally wouldn’t add into our daily diets on a regular basis like wheat grass, spirulina and chlorella; can be infused into these products making for a highly dense, nutrient packed multi-vitamin that can certainly take non-athletes and basketball players alike to a whole new nutritional level!

It is especially important for basketball players to take a high quality daily multi-vitamin considering all of the physical effort they exert on a weekly basis. While being in great athletic shape is a very healthy thing, most athletes need double the nutritional support that non-athletes do since they are working their muscles at least twice as hard through all of the strength and endurance workouts that they endure. It’s safe to say that including a multi-vitamin will definitely have an impact on a players’ overall energy levels, focus, and moods while helping to support the body during intense times of recovery.

Not All Multivitamins Are Created Equal

I believe that it goes without saying that not all multivitamins are created equal; yet, it can still be entirely confusing to know the distinct differences between the several forms that are offered.

Multivitamins come in several different forms including tablets, capsules, gummies, chewable wafers, powders and liquids.

Tablets, capsules, wafers and gummies tend to be the traditional favorites and are certainly the most cost effective; however, they don’t provide bio-available sources of vitamins, meaning that even if you are only spending 10-15 dollars per bottle each month, you might as well take that money and flush it down the toilet so to speak.

In fact, tablets have been known to pass through the entire intestinal tract without being fully digested and are able to be detected in x-rays sitting within the body like rocks. This is due to the method used to process these supplements using harmful binders and excipients that act as glue to hold the tablet together. Sounds nutritious right? Hardly![3]

Gummies and wafers are overly processed as well and typically contain too much added sugar to the point that it’s questionable as to why they are even considered a nutritional supplement. Sugar has been shown to be a leading cause of poor health conditions like diabetes, cancer and acidity in general so why should it be in your daily multi? I still can’t find a logical explanation.

Capsules are not quite as bad as the previous two, however there is concern over the gelatin often used to encapsulate the ingredients as well as filler ingredients that can be toxic. Also the actual amount of the active ingredients compared to inactive filler ingredients is something to consider as well. Are you actually getting what you pay for inside each capsule? There are some capsule products out there that are not a complete waste of money and time, but again if you are looking for the most bio-available products to supercharge your basketball nutrition I’d simply look elsewhere.

Liquids are by far the most effective and readily absorbed form of multivitamin that you can take. They are almost instantly taken up by the bloodstream and the vitamins, nutrients and minerals in them are able to be easily and effectively facilitated to the right places throughout the body. Many people claim to even feel an immediate natural boost of energy after taking a high quality liquid, plant-based multivitamin.

Again, it’s important to ensure that you always double check the sugar content in these products and go with one that is sugar-free or at least contains a plant-based sweetener like stevia or licorice root.

Basketball players need to make sure that they are taking a liquid or powder form of multi-vitamin since their bodies require more nutrition than most. There’s no point in including a slow-absorbing form of multi-vitamin in your daily basketball nutrition just so to say that you do take one. Players need to be sure that they are getting the instant concentrated nutrition they are wanting as soon as they take it!

How Do I Choose the Right Daily Multivitamin to Meet My Basketball Needs?

Now that you understand the difference between the different forms of multi-vitamins and are ready to pick out one to fill in those nutritional gaps, the decision becomes even easier when you know which supplement is actually going to do what it says and give you the competitive nutritional edge that you may be looking for to support your basketball activities and everyday life.

Your choice of multivitamin should be based upon the purity of the ingredients, the sourcing of the ingredients and where they came from, its overall formulation and its active bio-availability to the body.

Purity of the product’s ingredients should be obvious to you by containing only a small number of “other ingredients” on the fact panel as well as there not being any harmful and toxic additives like magnesium stearate, silica, artificial colors and titanium dioxide to name a few.

Sourcing and formulation go hand in hand and can be hard to distinguish amongst products; however, it’s not always about going with the product that has the highest amount of vitamins in it but rather about the blend of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, superfoods, superfruits and amino acids you are getting. Typically, the multivitamins that have specialty blends in them are your better supplement choices rather than the ones that simply just list out Vitamin A through D and that’s all it has to offer. Your first thought should be, “So then where do these vitamin sources come from?” You should certainly see recognizable foods, fruits and herbs on the nutrition fact panel as you are skimming over it and if you don’t then you can be assured that the product is synthetic, overly processed and made in a laboratory.

Finally, when choosing a multi-vitamin you must consider the products bio-availability. Bio-availability means how readily available for absorption the vitamins and nutrients are within the supplement to your blood stream and body to be quickly digested, assimilated and absorbed. If the multi-vitamin is highly bio-available then you should feel more energy and well-being within minutes of taking a dosage. If you can’t tell a distinct difference in the way you feel overall when you take your current multi-vitamin than I’d consider switching it up. Your body will certainly thank you!

How Often do Basketball Players Need to Take A Multi-Vitamin?

It’s all in the name – a daily multi-vitamin needs to be taken daily. However, the great thing about taking a plant-based and food sourced liquid supplement is that the body is going to utilize the nutrients much more quickly and efficiently than less desirable forms. This means that if a player takes one serving of their multi-vitamin at 7 A.M. with their breakfast, then goes off to school all day followed by a practice until about 6 P.M. – after 10 hours of mental and physical stress typically entailed within a student athletes’ day they may be due for another dose of a nutritional powerhouse supplement like a multi-vitamin. This somewhat goes outside of the thinking that you can only take a daily multi-vitamin once daily, but the reality is that if you are taking the right multi-vitamin you can call upon it whenever your basketball body needs a nutritional boost up to a few times each and every day.

Now that you have a lot of really great information regarding what makes a quality daily multi-vitamin product, it’s time that you either start utilizing the nutritional power of adding one into your daily routine or replacing your old one by taking the time to research and invest in a supplement that is going to provide you with what it longs for on a daily basis – an adequate source of quality vitamins, minerals and nutrients! Ask your doctor or nutritionist what would be the right vitamin for you and your basketball health!

[1]http://blogs.wsj.com/venturecapital/2009/09/21/the-hidden-costs-of-running-a-biotech-company/

[2] http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-and-nutrition-loss/

[3] http://www.bloodrootproducts.com/About_Fillers_and_Binders_s/271.htm

Basketball Training & Nutrition – Healthy Carbs

July 2, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Choosing Healthy Carbohydrates for Optimal Basketball Performance

There is a lot of controversy over carbohydrates floating around the internet these days. While some diets recommend that you go as low carb as possible, others simply recommend that you switch to focusing on what kind of carbohydrates you are consuming.

Basketball players certainly need carbohydrates because of all the energy expended during workouts, practices and games. I like to think of carbohydrates like the gas in a car – without it, you aren’t getting anywhere very quickly right? So, when it comes to basketball performance, carbohydrates are a must!

The main health concerns with the over consumption of unhealthy carbohydrates over a period of time are unstable blood sugar levels, unwanted weight gain, heart disease and metabolic disease (type 2 diabetes).

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to be overweight to suffer from health issues like unstable blood sugar levels and diabetes, making it important as a basketball player to understand why you need to be choosing your carbohydrate sources wisely to support your overall health and basketball performance.

What are Bad Basketball Carbs?

Bad carbs, most commonly referred to as ‘simple carbohydrates’ are made up of only one or two sugar molecules. Simple carbs are rapidly digested in the body and are the quickest source of energy available; however, the main problem with relying on simple carbs as a fuel source for basketball performance is that the energy is not sustainable and they cause unstable blood sugar levels and insulin production.

The digestion of simple carbs happens so fast in the body that blood sugar levels skyrocket almost instantly causing a surge of energy. This rapid rise in blood sugar is always shortly followed by an equally fast decline known as a ‘blood sugar crash’. A blood sugar crash typically leaves you feeling tired, stressed and hungry again, which is why the overconsumption of simple carbs can lead to overeating and is unhealthy in general.

Each time this rapid rise and fall in blood sugar happens, the pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is important for regulating several metabolic functions in the body including blood glucose uptake and fat storage. Basically, insulin is responsible for helping the cells pull glucose (energy) from the blood which is why it is such a key part of healthy energy and metabolism.

Over time, if you continually rely on simple carbs as a main fuel source then your body either stops responding to the insulin that the pancreas sends out or the pancreas becomes overworked and quits releasing insulin altogether. At this point, you are headed for more serious health problems.

Another key thing to know about simple carbs is that they have little to no fiber, vitamins and minerals. Fiber plays a huge role in healthy digestion and stable blood sugar levels and without it, your metabolism and energy levels will continue to be on a roller coaster ride of instability and inefficiency.

Sources of simple carbs to greatly reduce or completely eliminate mostly include items that contain refined sugars and flours like table sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, candy, soft drinks, conventional fruit drinks, jellies, white, wheat and multi-grain breads, wheat pasta, chips, cookies, baked goods and packaged cereals. There are healthier versions of many of these foods, but generally speaking these should be on your list to avoid.

What are Good Basketball Carbs?

On the other hand, good carbs or ‘complex carbohydrates’, are an ideal source of sustainable energy for basketball performance. Complex carbs are made of sugar molecules that are woven together like a braid which digest much more slowly in the body.

Digesting slowly means that blood sugar levels gradually increase and insulin production is much slower making complex carbs more suitable for a healthy metabolism.

Since complex carbohydrates are whole food and plant based, they are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals.

Sources of complex carbs include: green vegetables, nuts and seeds, whole-grains like buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth, millet and spelt, starchy vegetables like sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash and corn, and legumes like beans, peas and lentils.

Simple Vs. Complex Carbs for Basketball Performance

Basketball performance is comprised of several repetitive stop-and-go movements, sprinting and endurance. This requires a lot of energy for the body, especially over the course of an intense 40 minute game or two hour practice.

Your choice of carbohydrates for fueling your body before a basketball workout, practice or game is going to determine how much steam you have in your engine so to speak.

Simple carbs may give you a quick burst of energy, but if you rely on them to get you all the way through, it’s likely that you will be left at the halfway mark or sooner feeling drained, hungry and craving more fuel. Have you ever had to grab a snack at halftime or during practice because you already felt exhausted because your blood sugar dropped so low? This is an example of what happens when you fuel your body with carbohydrate choices that simply don’t last.

Complex carbs are obviously the best choice since they will digest more slowly and the energy extracted from them will be distributed to you over a longer period of time, leaving you with more endurance to enhance your overall performance.

Using the Glycemic Index Chart to Choose Carbs

The glycemic index is a popular way to distinguish between good and bad carbs. This chart displays foods based upon a low (0-55), medium (56-69) and high (70 or greater) value. The higher a food falls on the Glycemic Index, the faster it raises blood sugar levels.

While it’s common sense that the simple carbs I listed above generally have a high GI value, this chart provides an efficient way to determine between the healthier complex carb choices. Instead of just relying on the fact that all fruits and vegetables are complex carbs, this is a way for you to get more specific with your choices if you’d like.

Although carbohydrates tend to catch a bad reputation these days because of the over-processing of many popular foods, they are a necessity for basketball players. Understanding the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates is the key to knowing how to fuel your basketball body properly when gearing up for performance. Ask your basketball trainer how he / she can help you manage your carbs for optimal performance.

Keys To Hydration For Basketball Champions

June 26, 2014 By basketballtrainer

Water is the most important source of life on Earth. You can survive more than three weeks without food, but water is a completely different story. It would only take about three days for you to perish without this precious life source.

It’s not surprising that we must have to water to sustain life considering that the average adult is made up of about 57% water. As expected, the need to maintain adequate hydration becomes much greater in conditions of extreme heat and intense physical exercise like basketball.

When your body starts to heat up during basketball practice or a game, the body’s cooling system kicks into gear and you begin to sweat. Some people sweat more than others, but not to worry if you happen to be a “sweat hog” because you typically only need to be concerned about your overall health if you aren’t sweating at all.

While sweating is the most natural response to the body overheating, a lot of water and vital fluids known as ‘electrolytes’ are lost during this process. If these fluids are not consistently replaced each day, then the body becomes dehydrated leading to more serious health concerns with symptoms like cramping, dizziness, nausea, extreme thirst, migraines, constipation and skin problems. Doesn’t sound too pleasant, right?

It’s said that by the time that you are experiencing thirst on any level you are already in a slightly dehydrated state. Rather than waiting until getting to this point or worse, it’s always smart to stay ahead in the game of hydration and ward off dehydration by taking action.

Keys to maintaining proper hydration as a basketball player include keeping a daily water log, understanding your water needs, being prepared with fresh water at all times, replenishing electrolytes and seeking out the highest quality of water sources available to you.

By following these guidelines for staying hydrated like a basketball champion, you are sure to increase your opportunities for peak performances and avoid the side-lining symptoms of dehydration.

5 Keys To Hydration For

Basketball Champions

1. Keep a Water Log During Basketball Training

As you are first starting out, it’s important to keep track of how much water you are or aren’t drinking each day. Keeping a daily water log might give you surprising answers since it’s impossible to keep up with fluid intakes by memory. You will learn exactly how much you need to increase your water intake or maybe you will find that you are doing just fine.

You can mark off every 8-12 ounces that you drink on paper if you find that easy, or there are water bottles out there that you can buy that keep track of your water intake by recording how many times you’ve filled it up.

Whichever method you choose for keeping track, just be sure that you stay consistent with it.

2. Understand Your Basketball Water Needs

The amount of water you need will change from day to day depending on your activity level. Everyone has different baseline water needs defendant upon varying factors like metabolism speed, body weight, climate, elevation and sweat output.

A general marker is to drink at least half of your body weight in water each day. However, athletes need more than this considering the high activity level and sweat output. Assuming that you are already hydrated before you start a workout, practice or game, it’s recommended that you try and keep up with about 7-10 ounces of water every 20-25 minutes of basketball activity. Keep in mind that this amount increases the more heavily you sweat.

Realistically, you know your body better than anyone and half of the battle of determining your water needs is simply to listen to your body and take notice of how much you are drinking compared to your exertion levels and sweat output. In time, understanding you daily water needs will become second nature to you.

3. Be Prepared at all Times

Since water is the one thing as a basketball player that you are going to need at practically any given time of the day, it’s smart to be prepared at all times.

This means that you must consider how much access you have to water each day and what you need to do to ensure that you will always have it available to you no matter where you are. A few ideas include carrying a larger water bottle with you so that you won’t need to refill as often, or just being sure that you refill your bottle before each class.

Assuming you will need more water for your basketball activities, be sure to plan ahead and always bring more water bottle. It’s much easier to have a large personal bottle with you so that you can keep track of how much you’re drinking rather than running to the fountain and sipping an uncertain amount before resuming activity.

4. Replenish your Electrolytes

When you sweat, you lose electrolytes which are important salts in the body that carry an ionic or electrical charge. They support basic muscle function important for basketball and sports performance, which is why the idea of flavored sports performance drinks became so popular.

However, most popular sports performance drinks today are loaded with entirely too much sugar and sodium and are lacking in other important electrolytes like potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride and bicarbonate. I recommend going for a specialty electrolyte replacement product not found in major grocery stores or gas stations to replace these vital fluids. Most quality sources of electrolytes come as a powder that you mix with water.

Another way to get electrolytes is to include more dark green, leafy vegetables into your diet as well as potassium-rich foods like bananas and almonds.

5. Choose High-Quality Water Sources

All water is not created equal. In fact, it’s not really a secret anymore that much of our tap water found in public water fountains and from the sinks of our homes are contaminated with toxins like fluoride. Although it is said that these chemicals are safe for human consumption in very small amounts, the real issue is that no one really knows how much is actually being used in treating our public water.

I’m not trying to scare you off from ever drinking from the water fountain again, but I do believe that considering higher-quality water sources is ideal.

There are really great brands of bottled water at stores like Whole Foods and Sprouts where more organic options are available. Essentia and Voss are my favorite bottled brands since they are more alkalinized with a pH of 9.0.

Another alternative to tap water is investing in a Kangen water filtration system. These systems are unique in that they completely remove all of the chemicals from the water and bring the water to a healthy pH level of 7.0 and higher.

Alkalinized water means that the water is less acidic and is more readily absorbed by the body promoting efficient hydration. Acidic water is not as healthy and unfortunately tap water has an acidic pH and unless you buy bottled brands with a higher pH or invest in a filtration system, it’s impossible to find this quality of water through public sources.

It certainly is more expensive to invest in better water, but considering that your body is made up of over half water than it’s a smart, healthy move if you are able to do so. If you don’t have access to these better water sources, not to worry – do the best you can by sticking to what is available to you since the bottom line is that any safe water is better than no water.

Proper hydration is key to performing like a basketball champion during each workout, practice and game. Now that you have some guidelines to follow, you shouldn’t have to worry about the lagging effects of dehydration. So hop to it and grab what you need to stay on top of replenishing your body’s most precious substance – water!