Basketball players must improve this ability

As an athlete, it is very important to have super physical strength. So today I will introduce to you what basketball players should eat to increase their physical strength. Friends who are interested can take a look.

What do basketball players eat to increase their strength?

1. Carrots can enhance aerobic metabolism

Recent studies have shown that the beta-carotene in carrots can not only protect human cells from damage and improve anti-cancer ability, but also enhance the aerobic fitness level of athletes. Sports physiologists at the University of Louisiana in the United States gave the experimental group 15 mg of beta-carotene (equivalent to the content of 5 carrots) for 30 consecutive days, and gave the control group a placebo with no effect, and then tested them with a 5,000-meter run 3D days later. The results showed that the group of students who took carotene ran faster than the other group, with an average improvement of 30 seconds, and they reported that running felt easier.

The researchers speculate that the antioxidant function of beta-carotene may promote blood flow, thereby increasing the oxygen supply to the muscles and improving running ability. It's not clear whether it makes a difference whether you take it in food or in pills, but foods rich in beta-carotene include a variety of orange and yellow fruits and vegetables, such as apricots, peaches, pumpkin, paw paw, and of course carrots.

2. Beef can also improve running endurance

The impact of your feet landing on the ground while running can cause damage to red blood cells, thereby reducing the amount of iron stored in muscles and red blood cells. Red blood cells are responsible for transporting oxygen in the body, and their number has a great impact on aerobic exercise capacity.

Some sports physiologists divided some high school-age female cross-country runners into two groups. One group ate 120-150 grams of beef in addition to their normal daily diet, while the other group did not eat it. Three months later, the hemoglobin level of the beef-consuming group was found to be generally higher than that of the other group, and they could last longer in the endurance test. Physiologists, in view of the fact that most people who do knife-resistant exercises tend to focus on carbohydrate intake and ignore protein, recommend that they should consume at least 120 to 150 grams of lean meat (equivalent to the size of a deck of playing cards) every day to promote the recovery of red blood cells.

3. Eat potatoes before the game

Many people know that the main energy source of muscles is carbohydrates, but they believe that fat has high thermal energy and may be able to maintain physical strength longer, so they are willing to eat some butter or whole milk and other foods in their pre-game meals. A recent experiment by some British researchers raises objections to this.

In the experiment, two groups of people consumed breakfast containing 750 kcal of calories. One group of food was high in carbohydrates and low in fat (92%:35%), and the other group was high in fat and low in carbohydrates (58%:37%). Three hours after the meal, the two groups of people performed fatigue tests on a treadmill at the same time. The results showed that the high-carbohydrate group had an average 14% higher endurance than the high-fat group.

Experts concluded that fat cannot provide energy to muscles in a timely manner. In the test, insufficient carbohydrates in the breakfast caused premature depletion of muscle glycogen, leading to muscle exhaustion. One suggestion from sports nutrition experts is to eat a boiled or baked potato sprinkled with brown sugar and a banana 2 hours before a race. These are very easy to digest and the energy release is smooth and long-lasting.

4. Eat fish for your post-race meal

According to traditional practice, athletes should eat more carbohydrates after competition or high-intensity training to replenish the glycogen consumed in the muscles. Now, with further research on sports nutrition, this statement has changed.

Researchers at a university in the Netherlands found that people who are accustomed to consuming some protein foods after exercise have better physical strength during the next exercise than those who only eat carbohydrates, so they conducted a targeted experiment. Two groups of cyclists were given either a pure carbohydrate drink or a mixed drink with protein after performing high-intensity training (until muscle glycogen levels dropped to a certain level). In the next 5 hours, they consumed 280 grams of carbohydrates (1120 kcal, equivalent to 18 slices of bread) or 280 grams of carbohydrates plus protein, which was bread and tuna.

Finally, their muscle glycogen recovery was tested. The results showed that the levels of people in the group that consumed the mixed drink and food were 100% higher than those in the other group. The researchers speculate that protein prompts the body to secrete more insulin, which in turn promotes the storage of glycogen in muscles. The best combinations of carbohydrates and protein include yogurt with fruits and vegetables, pasta with fish, and rice with tofu.