Where Do Fats, Vitamins, and Minerals Come Into Play?!

Wix

Introduction:

In the previous two posts I discussed the energy, carbohydrate, and protein needs of elite basketball players. Basketball is considered a sport that involves high-intensity intermittent exercise and thus players have higher energy and protein needs. For peak performance a player should fuel properly by eating 55 kcal/kg/day to include 8-10g/kg/day of carbohydrates and 1.2-3.0g/kg/day of protein1.

A balanced diet also includes eating dietary fats to provide adequate amounts of energy, protein, and micro-nutrients. Fats are a good source of energy and provide an array of benefits. Fats provide 9kcal/g as compared to 4kcal/g provided by protein and carbohydrates2. Vitamins and minerals are found in all three macro-nutrients1. These micro-nutrients help facilitate and support metabolic reactions and structures in your body1.

Dietary Fat

How much fat should you eat and from where?

The institute of Medicine states 20% to 35% of your caloric intake or (0.5-1.5 g/kg/day) would meet the needs of most basketball players1, 2.

Seek foods high in mono-unsaturated and polyunsaturated fats such as olive oil, avocados, olives, walnuts, salmon, albacore tuna, lake trout, herring, sardines, flax and chia seeds 1,2. These fats can counter the adverse effect of saturated fats, decrease low-density lipoproteins (LDL) cholesterol and raise good cholesterol high-density lipoproteins (HDL).

Limit foods high in saturated and trans fats. These food tend to be highly processed such as cookies, biscuits, frozen pizzas, breakfast sandwiches, crackers, and fried chicken 1,2.

Eating Fats Has its Benefits

Not only does fat provide fuel (calories) to help you maintain your energy balance, it is essential for various metabolic reactions and absorption of micro-nutrients such as fat-soluble vitamins1,2 :

Other benefits include1,2:

1. Modulating inflammation and some types serving as antioxidants to reduce oxidative stress associated with high-intensity exercise.

2. Maintaining testosterone concentrations as it is required for the synthesis of hormones.

3. Helping individuals recover from concussions and brain trauma with it's neural transmission and cell signaling functions.

4. Maintaining the integrity of cell membranes and protecting vital organs.

5. Involved in improving mood, appetite control, and satiety.

Ketogenic diets are popular but are NOT the best choice for basketball players

Well why not? This diet requires you to eat > 70% of your calories from fat1. Basketball players have to sustain enough energy to participate in intermittent high-intensity exercise. Research suggests ketogenic diets impair performance when the activity requires high-intensity exercise (> 70% of peak aerobic capacity) 1.

Micro-nutrients

Vitamins and minerals are both micro-nutrients that cannot be produced by the body. They benefit the body in many ways but they do not provide energy directly. Although, vitamins and minerals are both micro-nutrients there are some key differences between the two.

Vitamins are essential organic compounds that serve as co-factors or co-enzymes working with enzymes to catalyze metabolic reactions. Although, they do not directly produce energy they can lead to energy production in the body1. Vitamins assist in breaking down fat, protein, and carbohydrates into smaller units that the body can use for fuel1. Some vitamins help regulate growth and have hormone-like properties1.

Minerals are essential inorganic chemical elements that carry electrical charges that are required to maintain normal physiological processes and regulate metabolic reactions1. Also, minerals assist in building body structures such as muscles, bones, and teeth1.

Vitamin recommendations:

Vitamins are categorized as water-soluble (vitamin B’s and C) or fat-soluble vitamins (A,D,E,K). The water-soluble vitamins cannot be stored in the body, while fat-soluble vitamins can be stored in the body1. Notable Vitamins and Minerals for Basketball Players

Recommended Intake and Proposed Benefits1,2

1. Vitamin E: 15-19 mg/day

Reduce formation of free radicals, assist with oxygen delivery to muscles during exercise. Good food sources: Olive oil, nuts, seeds

2. Vitamin B 1 (thiamine) : 1.1-1.2mg/day

Improve exercise capacity, reduce lactate and anaerobic threshold which can increase time until fatigued. Good food sources: Beans and whole grains

3, Vitamin B6: 1.3-1.7 mg/day up to 100 mg/day

Facilitates metabolic reactions involved in protein synthesis. Good food sources: Chicken, fish, eggs, pistachios, chickpeas, lentils, bananas

4. Vitamin C: 90 mg/day up to 2,000mg day

Protect cells from free radicals and enhances immunity. Good food sources: Grapefruit, oranges, broccoli

Mineral recommendations:

Minerals are classified as either macro-minerals needed in doses of 100mg/day or more or micro-minerals needed in doses of less than 100 mg/day1.

Notable Minerals for Basketball Players

Recommended Intake and Proposed Benefits 1,2

1. Boron: 1-13 mg/day up to 20mg/day

May be helpful to build muscle mass and increase testosterone levels.

Good food sources: Apples, pears, grapes, leafy green vegetables, nuts

2. Calcium: 1000-2000 mg/day

Important for regulation of muscle contraction, nerve conduction and bone integrity.

Good food sources: Kale, almonds, spinach, salmon, Greek yogurt, collard greens

3. Chromium: 25-35 mcg/day

Help transport amino acids into muscle, maintain normal blood sugar levels, and improve muscle glycogen storage.

Good food sources: Beans and whole grains

4. Magnesium: 310-420 mg/day

Works with calcium and phosphorus to influence bone integrity, improves oxygen into the muscles, and metabolism of glucose for energy.

Good food sources: Seafood, nuts, vegetables, and whole grains

5. Phosphorous: 700 mg/day

Maximize oxygen update and reduce lactate at sub-maximal workloads.

Good food sources: Seafood and grains

6. Potassium: 4.7 g/day

Works with sodium to regulate body fluids, generate nerve signals needed to contract the muscle, transport glucose into the muscle, and helps with the production of ATP.

Good food sources: Oranges, bananas, tomatoes, sardines, flounder, beans, salmon

Foods-First Approach

Eating nutrient-dense foods is the best way to get your macro- and micronutrients1. In an ideal world you would get all of your vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet consisting of lean sources of protein, vegetables, and fruits. Nonetheless, I recommend a low dose multi-vitamin and mineral supplement, especially on heavy training days and/or if you are following a hypo-caloric diet. It can help you to fill in the gaps when you cannot eat a balanced diet. I caution against multi-vitamins and minerals with mega-doses because of the increased risk of toxicity, especially from fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K) and excessive doses can interfere with the absorption or function of other micro-nutrients present in the supplement2.

Conclusion

In summary, fat is one of the three macro-nutrients that provide energy to fuel you to participate in basketball activities. Also, fats help your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins and have an array of other benefits. You should emphasize heart-healthy fats in your diet and should focus on getting the correct balance of carbohydrates, fat, and protein from a variety fish, lean meats, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, raw and cooked vegetables, and whole grains.

First, determine your energy (55 kcal/g/day), carbohydrate (8-10 g/kg/day) and protein (1.2-3.0 g/kg/day) needs, then aim for 20-35% of energy from fat (0.5-1.5 g/kg/day).

Balance and variety are the keys when choosing your meals and snacks! This will help to ensure you get adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals in your diet. It can also be helpful to take a low dose multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to support your training efforts for peak performance.

References

1. Kreider, R. B. (2019). Essentials of exercise and sport nutrition: Science to practice. Raleigh, NC: Lulu.

2. Rosenbloom, C. A. (2012). Sports nutrition: A practice manual for professionals. E. J. Coleman (Ed.). Chicago, IL: Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.