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How to lose weight for basketball
9 Science-Based Ways for Athletes to Lose Weight
Humans need a certain amount of body fat to maintain basic functions.
However, a higher body fat percentage can negatively affect performance in athletes.
That said, athletes need to approach weight loss with care. Failing to do so can negatively affect training and lead to muscle loss.
Here are 9 science-based weight loss tips for athletes.
1. Lose fat during the off-season
It’s very difficult to decrease body fat and reach peak fitness at the same time.
To lose fat, you need to eat fewer calories. This can make training feel more difficult and prevent you from performing at your best.
For this reason, it’s best to lose fat in the off-season, when you’re not competing. If that’s not possible, aim for less intense training periods.
Attempting fat loss in the off-season will also give you more time to reach your goal. Losing weight at a slower rate decreases the likelihood of muscle loss and seems to support better sports performance (1).![]()
Most research agrees that weight loss of 1 pound (0.5 kg) or less per week is ideal (1, 2, 3).
SUMMARY Try to lose weight during the off-season at a rate of 1 pound (0.5 kg) per week or less. This will minimize muscle loss while supporting sports performance.
2. Avoid crash diets
If you cut calories too drastically, your nutrient intake may not support proper training and recovery.
This can increase your risk of injury, illness, and overtraining syndrome (2).
The latest sports nutrition guidelines also warn against eating too few calories and reaching a dangerously low body fat percentage, both of which can disrupt reproductive function and diminish bone health (2).
The lowest safe recommended body fat percentage is 5% in men and 12% in women. However, these levels are not necessarily best for all athletes, so discuss what’s best for you with your coach and sports dietitian (4).
Cutting calories too quickly can also negatively affect hormones and metabolism (5).
To decrease body fat, athletes should eat about 300–500 fewer calories per day but avoid eating fewer than 13.5 calories per pound (30 kilocalories per kg) of fat-free mass per day (2, 3).
If you don’t know how much fat-free mass you have, get your body composition estimated with either a skinfold test or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA).
You can also get your body composition measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) or underwater weighing. These are more accurate but also tend to be expensive and harder to come by.
SUMMARY Crash diets can increase your risk of illness and injury, as well as negatively affect your training and recovery. Therefore, avoid cutting your calorie intake by more than 300–500 calories per day.
3. Eat less added sugar and more fiber
Low-carb diets providing less than 35–40% of calories from carbs seem very effective at promoting fat loss (6, 7, 8).
However, restricting carbs too dramatically is not always best for athletes.
That’s because it can negatively affect training and sports performance (2, 3, 9, 10).
Aim for a carb intake that’s 40% of your daily calories to maximize fat loss. Still, consume no less than 1.4–1.8 grams of carbs per pound (3–4 grams per kg) each day (2, 11).
Cutting out added sugars is the healthiest way to reduce your total carb intake.
To do so, check labels and minimize foods that contain added sugars like glucose, sucrose, and fructose. Also, avoid cane juice, dextrin, maltodextrin, barley malt, caramel, fruit juice concentrate, fruit juice crystals, or other syrups.
Instead, increase your intake of vegetables high in fiber. These will help keep you fuller for longer, making you feel more satisfied (12, 13, 14).
SUMMARY Eating less sugar and more fiber can help you reach your body fat goals. Athletes should aim to eat no less than 1.4–1.8 grams of carbs per pound (3–4 grams per kg) each day.
4. Eat more protein
Protein aids fat loss in several ways.
To begin with, high-protein diets increase feelings of fullness and the number of calories burned during digestion. They also help prevent muscle loss during periods of weight loss, including in well-trained athletes (5, 15).
In fact, several studies show that eating 2–3 times more protein per day can help athletes retain more muscle while losing fat (9, 16, 17).
Therefore, athletes restricting their calories to lose weight should eat 0.8–1.2 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.8–2.7 grams per kg) per day (2, 3, 18).
That said, there’s no advantage to exceeding these recommendations.
Consuming more than these amounts can displace other important nutrients, such as carbs, from your diet. This can limit your ability to train and maintain good sports performance (2, 3, 9, 19).
SUMMARY Higher protein intakes help limit muscle loss while your weight is dropping. Athletes should aim to consume 0.8–1.2 grams per pound of body weight (1.
8–2.7 grams per kg) of protein each day.
5. Spread protein intake throughout the day
In addition to eating more protein, athletes can benefit from spreading their intake throughout the day (20).
In fact, 20–30 grams of protein per meal seems sufficient to stimulate muscles to produce protein for the following 2–3 hours.
This is why many scientists believe that it’s ideal to consume a protein-rich meal or snack every 3 hours (3, 21).
Interestingly, studies in athletes show that spreading 80 grams of protein over 4 meals stimulates muscle protein production more than splitting it over 2 larger meals or 8 smaller ones (22, 23).
A 2-week weight loss study in boxers also found that those who spread their daily calorie allowance over 6 meals instead of 2 lost 46% less muscle mass (24).
Eating a snack with 40 grams of protein immediately before bedtime can also improve recovery from training and increase muscle protein synthesis during the night (25).
However, more research in athletes is needed to draw strong conclusions.
SUMMARY Eating 20–30 grams of protein every 3 hours, including right before bed, may help maintain muscle mass during weight loss.
6. Refuel well after training
Eating the right foods after training or competing is vital, especially when trying to lose body fat.
Proper refueling is especially important for days with two training sessions or when you have fewer than eight hours of recovery time between workouts and events (2).
Athletes following carb-restricted diets should aim to consume between 0.5–0.7 grams of carbs per pound of body weight (1–1.5 grams per kg) as soon as possible after a training session (2, 3, 11).
Adding 20–25 grams of protein can further speed up recovery and promote protein production in your muscles (2).
SUMMARY Consuming a good amount of carbs and protein immediately after training can help maintain your sports performance during weight loss.
7. Do strength training
Individuals attempting to lose weight are often at risk of losing some muscle in addition to fat. Athletes are no exception.
Some muscle loss can be prevented by eating a sufficient amount of protein, avoiding crash diets, and lifting weights (3).
Research shows that both protein intake and strength-training exercises stimulate muscle protein synthesis. What’s more, combining the two seems to produce the greatest effect (26).
Nevertheless, make sure to speak to your coach before adding any extra workouts to your schedule. This will reduce your risk of overtraining or injuries.
SUMMARY Strength-training exercises can help prevent the muscle loss often experienced during a period of weight loss.
8. Increase calories gradually after you reach your goal
Once you’ve reached your body fat percentage goal, it’s tempting to quickly start eating more.
However, this may not be the most effective way to maintain your results.
That’s because your body can adapt to a restricted calorie intake by adjusting your metabolism and hormone levels.
Researchers believe these adaptations can persist for some time after you bump up your calorie intake and cause you to quickly regain the lost fat (5).
A good alternative may be to increase your calories gradually.
This may help restore your hormone levels and metabolism better, minimizing the weight regain (5).
SUMMARY Increasing your calorie intake gradually after a period of weight loss may help minimize weight regain.
9. Try some of these other weight loss tips
Although weight loss is a widely researched topic, the number of studies performed on athletes is limited.
Nevertheless, many of the strategies scientifically proven to help non-athletes lose body fat may also benefit athletes. Thus, you can try some of the following:
- Record your portions. Measuring your portions and keeping track of what you eat is scientifically proven to help you get better results (27).
- Drink enough fluids. Drinking liquids before a meal, whether it’s soup or water, can help you consume up to 22% fewer calories at the meal (28, 29).
- Eat slowly. Slow eaters tend to eat less and feel fuller than fast eaters. Eating slowly can help you decrease your calorie intake without feeling hungry. Aim to take at least 20 minutes for each meal (30, 31).
- Avoid alcohol. Alcohol is a source of empty calories. What’s more, it can prevent athletes from properly refueling after exercise, which can negatively affect future performance (32, 33, 34).
- Get enough sleep. Research suggests that too little sleep can increase hunger and appetite by up to 24%. As sleep is also important for athletic performance, make sure you get enough (35, 36).
- Reduce your stress. Having high levels of stress increases cortisol levels, which promotes food cravings. Mental and physical stress can also prevent proper recovery (37, 38).
SUMMARY Stress, sleep, hydration, and alcohol all affect weight loss. Eating slowly, controlling portion sizes, and sleeping well can all help you lose weight.
The bottom line
Fat loss can be beneficial, but athletes must do it in a way that doesn’t negatively affect their sports performance or health.
Those who want to reduce their body fat levels should aim to do so during the off-season.
Keep in mind that lower body fat is not always better. Athletes should discuss any weight loss goals or strategies with their coach or sports dietitian.
Basketball Workout for Losing Weight
by Bobby R. Goldsmith
Losing weight requires the successful implementation of several factors. A good diet, a solid workout plan and the will power to see it all through. But diets and workout plans can be tough to slog through if they’re not interesting enough. Incorporating a sport into your weight-loss workout plan will help you stick to it, and also help you achieve a better level of athletic fitness.
Basketball, with its focus on cardio and full-body engagement, is a perfect sport for losing weight.
Cardio
The best weight-loss aspect that a basketball workout offers is high-intensity cardio. Playing on a competitive or recreational basketball team requires a lot of running, and near constant motion throughout a game. To prepare for the cardio demands of the game, run at least a mile four or five days each week. Hit the court and do sprint training, with line-to-line shuttles from basket to basket. Perform shuttles across the length of the court four to six times, and across the width of the court eight to 10 times. Intersperse shuttles across the court with shuttles down the length of the court.To improve your game and to engage your upper body, practice doing the shuttles while dribbling a ball up and down the court.
Strength Training
Even though it’s a cardio-intensive sport, you need to develop basic levels of strength to be competitive, even if you play recreationally.
Body weight exercises translate well to performance on the court, and the development of functional strength will help boost your metabolism, improving the rate at which you lose weight. Pushups, pullups, squat thrusts, lunges, side bends and torso twists all use your body weight to provide resistance and engage most of your body’s major muscle groups. For pushups, begin with two or three sets of at least 10 reps. For pullups, begin with a single set of up to 10 reps. for squat thrusts and lunges, three sets of 10 reps will provide a good starting point. For side bends and torso twists, begin with two sets of 20 reps. As you grow stronger, increase reps, then sets to keep the workouts challenging.
Court Drills
The form of a basketball shot engages many muscle groups in the body, and provides a solid overall workout when it’s done multiple times over the course of a workout. From the wrists and arms to the back and legs, most of the body has a stake in every shot. Start every basketball workout with shots from the free-throw line.
After a few shots start sinking, move back to the top of the key and continue shooting. Work your way around the three-point line, taking shots from several angles. Your shooting routine should last for 20 to 30 minutes. Next move on to more complex drills, like dribbling from post to post, to improve coordination and increase your heart rate while perfecting your skills. Begin with 10 drives from post to post while dribbling. Drive to the basket with the ball at a full pace and practice layups. Do this for 10 to 15 minutes. The run-dribble-and-jump routine offers a well-rounded exercise, and is an essential part of the game.
Considerations
When increasing your level of exercise, even with the goal of losing weight, you must consume a diet with enough calories to support the increased activity. Reducing your caloric intake drastically while also increasing the caloric demands that a basketball workout places on your body can slow your metabolism and hinder your weight loss.
Consume a balanced diet rich in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and quality protein. Allow enough time for your body to recover in between workouts. For drills and body-weight exercises, try to rest for at least one day between sessions. A good schedule will begin with cardio, strength training and drills on Day 1, cardio and drills on Day 2 and rest on Day 3. On Day 4, do cardio, strength training and drills, then do cardio and drills on Day 5 and cardio only on Day 6. Rest completely on Day 7.
References
- Complete Conditioning for Basketball; ed. Bill Foran, Robin Pound
- 52-week Basketball Training; Chip Sigmon
- Youth Basketball Drills; Burrall Paye, Patrick Paye
Writer Bio
Bobby R. Goldsmith is a writer and editor with over 12 years of experience in journalism, marketing and academics. His work has been published by the Santa Fe Writers Project, "DASH Literary Journal," the "Inland Valley Daily Bulletin" and WiseGEEK.
Image Credit
Stockbyte/Stockbyte/Getty Images
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Do you want to get rid of your stomach? Play basketball!
Komsomolskaya Pravda
Svetlana DANILOVA
September 24, 2009 2:44
KP readers share their ways to lose weight [competition]
For most men, the main problem is the stomach.
A friend of mine has been going to the gym for over a year now. The shoulders have grown, the torso has grown stronger, the butt has become like a nut, but the belly, for the life of me, does not go away. Our regular reader and participant of the photo contest "Lose Weight!" Andrey Gerasimov offers his recipe for fighting belly fat. Age: 28 Weight before weight loss: 93 kg Weight now: 84 kg - More recently, - Andrei sighs, - I weighed almost a centner, namely 93 kilograms. It seems to be normal for a man. But if it were muscles! I decided to lose weight because I was tired of living with memories of how athletic I was when I was at the institute, I was tired of seeing someone else's face in the mirror, I remembered that I was only 28. Well, and most importantly, my beloved wife will soon give me a son, and this the least I can do for her, because she deserves a handsome, slender and strong husband! Andrei before his transformation... Andrei's first attempt to lose weight was not entirely successful.
A few years ago, having decided to get rid of extra pounds, he simply stopped eating. During the day I drank a couple of liters of water, threw a pack of pistachios into myself and chewed lettuce leaves. As a result, he achieved his goal - in two weeks he threw off 10 kg. But one day he fainted, and decided that cardinal methods like a hunger strike were not for him. Now everything is different - Andrei is losing weight in a smart way. Emphasizes physical activity. Signed up for fitness and regularly goes to the gym, shakes muscles. But not only ... To shake the body, make it part with fat and move the weight off the ground, Andrei is convinced, ordinary exercises are not enough. We need something more efficient! Recipe for slimness from Andrey Workouts Over the past summer, Andrey lost 9kilograms. And it's all thanks to basketball. Several times a week he meets with friends on the basketball court. And he trains for 2-3 hours. By the way, everyone can use this method. Look at the basketball players, they are all hardy, coordinated and lean, because the players have to run around the court, jump, fight for the ball.
There is no trace of the stomach under such loads! Diet At high-intensity loads (for example, a regular basketball game), it is important to eat right. A low-calorie diet will not work here - you still need strength. But it’s still worth limiting yourself a little in food. At first, replace white bread with black or grain (or give up flour altogether), sugar and sweets with dried fruits and honey. Try to eat fried and smoked foods as little as possible. Choose lean fish and lean meats, as well as fresh vegetables. Drink vitamins! They will help the body recover faster and not fail.
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5 best sports games for weight loss
Getting rid of extra pounds is not easy, especially if a person has never been fond of sports. Some people manage to overpower themselves, and they go to the gym, for long runs, etc.
If such options seem too complicated or boring, then sports games can be an alternative. With their help, you can bring the body into shape and have fun with friends or family.
TOP 5 sports games for weight loss
Experts name 5 sports games that perfectly cope with extra pounds, burn calories and cheer up. Each game will result in the consumption of calories for a person weighing from 60 to 80 kg.
1. American Football
Playing American football can involve all muscle groups. The more active the game is, the more effect the body receives from it. The game is based on constant races, which is useful not only for losing weight, but also for strengthening the heart and blood vessels.
Playing amateur American football can help you lose weight. If you do this sport at the professional level, then you can burn up to 709 calories per hour of playing.
2. Basketball
Like American football, basketball requires a lot of running.
Moreover, the pace of the game is quite high, the players constantly move between the shields, make jerks and actively use their hands. Basketball is another game that involves the muscles of the entire body. Taking the ball from the opponent, the players throw it into the basket, straining all muscle groups.
According to doctors, players burn up to 236 calories in 20 minutes of active basketball.
3. Water polo
Water polo puts a lot of stress on the legs as the players need to swim at high speed. Water resistance during swimming increases the load on the legs, and the muscle groups located in the upper body are also involved. The press is actively working, especially at the moments of taking the ball away from the opponent and throwing it into the goal.
Playing in the water field can burn up to 885 calories per hour.
4. Rugby
The sport of rugby combines running and wrestling. The game is quite tough, but very effective in terms of training.
Fighting for the ball with an opponent, you can well increase muscle strength, develop flexibility, endurance. Rugby players are constantly on the move, so they strengthen the cardiovascular system.
Every 40 minutes of active play burns up to 600 calories. But you need to be prepared for the fact that the muscles will hurt, and bruises will appear on the body in places.
5. Classic football
If the previous sports games are not to your liking, then classic football will always come to the rescue, which is played by boys in the yard, and adult men, and even women.
Football consists not only of simple and mega-active running, but also of hitting the ball, tackles, jumps. In one half, football players run 6 or more kilometers, so football is exactly the kind of sports game that can replace training in the gym, strengthen blood vessels and heart. In one half of 45 minutes, the players burn up to 665 calories.
By the way, in Germany, one of the most popular activities among the female audience is playing football.
On June 24 at 13:30 Moscow time, a match will be held as part of the well-known Ladies League championship. Bookmakers like CasinosTest have already started accepting bets on the match.
Which sport to choose for weight loss?
If you still want to go in for sports, and not sports games in order to lose weight, then you should take into account not only gender and age, but also the number of extra pounds.
Some sports are shown for a young organism, and others for an elderly one. But one thing unites them - aerobic exercise, in which classes are held at a reduced intensity. It is aerobic exercise that burns fat, while high-intensity strength training burns glycogen and carbohydrates.
In addition to the fact that aerobic exercise burns fat, they also perform the following tasks:
- improve blood flow;
- strengthen the heart and blood vessels;
- strengthen joints and respiratory system;
- increase endurance and overall muscle tone.
Experts advise women who want to lose weight to choose one of these options:
- pilates;
- aerobics;
- dancing;
- strip plastic;
- spep aerobics;
- body ballet;
- running.
Each of these directions will correct the figure, help burn excess body fat. Subject to regular exercise, the effect will not keep you waiting, the silhouette will become graceful and airy.
Women often face a situation where they need to lose weight in a short time. You can do this with interval aerobics. Its meaning is to practice at a pace - 30 seconds of exercise will be performed at an active pace, and 1 minute at a slow pace. In 30 minutes of such a workout, you can achieve an excellent result - fat-burning hormones are immediately produced in the body, so the weight is actively reduced. If you alternate interval aerobics with strength training (2 times a week), then the process of losing weight will accelerate.
