[Special Discussion] Basketball Part 1: The key to improving performance is knowing "what's best for you"

[Interview]

Athletic Trainer Daisuke Yamaguchi (DICE)

Certified sports nutritionist, Saruta Rinsa

"Diet" and "endurance" are essential elements for maintaining high performance

-- In basketball, where the intensity of the game is high, I think it's important to strengthen your stamina on a daily basis. For example, in the case of a female college student player (175cm, 68kg, female), what should you be aware of in order to maintain high performance during practice?

DICE:After all, it's important to be conscious of your diet on a daily basis. It's not that basketball players should be fat, but rather that they should be at a weight that allows them to perform well. I think it's important to have basic knowledge about food and nutrition, and then control your diet and training volume.

--In terms of training, for example, how do you evaluate endurance during competitions?

DICE:The "Yo-Yo Test" is a common test to measure how long you can keep running, but when I was with the San Antonio Spurs, we did a test called "Fives," where you run 28m from baseline to baseline (from one end of the court to the other) five times, for a total of 5m, in 280 seconds. If you can run for 60 seconds and rest for 60 seconds, five sets, all in 60 seconds, you can be judged to have minimum cardiopulmonary function. The time is set for an adult male, so I think it's okay for female players to be a little slower.

--What kind of nutritional awareness is necessary to improve endurance? Students often have morning practice in addition to practice after class, so planned nutrition is essential. Please tell us what we should keep in mind to avoid running out of energy.

Saruta:First of all, if there is practice or training in the morning, I tell them that it is a must to replenish their energy somehow beforehand. If they go to morning practice right after waking up without having eaten or drunk anything, it leads to the risk of injury and reduced concentration. Therefore, I start by instructing them to "start by drinking at least a sports drink even if they don't have time." Once they have cleared that, I gradually step up my instruction to include consuming energy jellies and bananas.

--What kind of nutrition should you take before, during, and after practice? 

Saruta:I would like students to eat snacks during breaks in classes. For example, if you have lunch around noon and your afternoon practice starts after 12pm, there will be too much time between your meal (lunch) and your training. Therefore, it is a good idea to mainly consume carbohydrates, such as high-energy sweet bean buns or rice balls, during breaks between classes, around 18pm. Then, ideally, you should supplement your energy intake with sports drinks or fast-acting energy jellies just before training begins.

If you have individual workouts after practice that will mean you have a late dinner, you'll need to get creative and eat some rice balls first and then just have side dishes for dinner (preferably something that's easy to digest).

--What nutritional advice do you give to help people use energy efficiently?

Saruta:After hearing that taking the amino acid cystine improves energy metabolism, I have been advising my players to take it. However, I would like them to first work on improving their diet as a prerequisite. When traveling overseas or when they are unable to supplement their diet due to training hours, I think it would be a good idea to use supplements and protein.

During the strengthening phase, consume foods high in energy to help your muscles recover.

--From the perspective of an athletic trainer, what advice do you usually give to basketball players about health management and injury prevention?

DICE:First of all, you need to be able to speak your true feelings. Japanese players tend to do what they are told and are more likely to be patient. It is most important to create an environment where players can speak their mind, such as in relationships with coaches and communication with trainers.

The reason is that in training, it is more important to learn positions and postures that allow your body to move comfortably, rather than fitting into a mold of "this is the correct answer." The purpose of training is to learn how to use your body efficiently, and to be able to move faster, stronger, and less likely to get injured. Even if you are not satisfied, it is important not to endure doing it just because your instructor told you to, but to understand for yourself what position allows you to use your body comfortably. If you understand and are satisfied with the training, it will be easier to continue, and your body will also change.

-- Basketball requires many elements, such as speed, agility, jumping ability, and power. Please tell us about the muscles that should be trained and any recommended muscle training.

DICE:I don't really teach which muscles to train. Because you don't think about each muscle when you move. In basketball, turning around while moving is important. Even when running, you have to negotiate with other players on the court, so I often practice stopping and turning around. When doing so, it's important to keep your center of gravity low. This makes it easier to move on to the next movement, so I think it's important to lower your hips to a good position and be able to move in any direction from there, which is also important in terms of injury prevention.

In that sense, I think sumo is an effective form of training that anyone can do. By lowering your hips and practicing transferring the force of the ground to your opponent, you can easily acquire the coordination of your movements. I recommend incorporating it as a different type of training from your usual routine.

--For example, it's not like if you train your calf muscles you'll be able to move better, right?

DICE:No. It is important that the hip joint, knee joint and ankle joint work well together. In technical terms, this is called "triple extension." By stretching and contracting the ankle, knee and knee joint at the same time, you can utilize the rebound force from the ground and transfer power to the ball, so moving everything in conjunction with each other leads to high performance.

--In terms of diet, what should players be aware of when eating during the training period before the league matches start? 

Saruta:During intensive training periods, especially in the summer, female athletes are prone to losing weight, so it is necessary to increase their energy intake to match the amount of training. However, when it is difficult to eat a lot at once, we try to devise ways to increase the number of snacks or add high-energy drinks.

--What nutrients are good for taking in order to help recover muscles during the strengthening phase?

Saruta:We recommend that players consume drinks containing glutamine during the game. Players who start the game will play longer and will get tired towards the end, so it is effective for them to consume drinks with a high concentration of glutamine at halftime. Even during the summer training period, we sometimes advise players to consume drinks containing glutamine during training to prevent weight loss.

--Are there any differences in the meal menu (amount and nutrients) depending on the characteristics of the position?

Saruta:It would be better to adjust it according to physique and amount of training, rather than position. If it is difficult to change the side dishes because of living in a dormitory, I would like you to adjust the amount of rice and make an effort to get the amount of energy you need.

In the first part, we introduced things to keep in mind during regular training and daily meals, as well as points to be careful of during periods of strengthening.

In the second part, we will introduce conditioning for the match, recovery methods on the day and the next day, and an exemplary meal menu that provides the energy and nutrients needed for the day.

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Daisuke Yamaguchi (DICE)

Tokyo Medical and Dental University Sports Science Center Vice Director/Athletic Trainer

Born in Fukuoka Prefecture. Lecturer at the Sports Science Center of Tokyo Medical and Dental University. Nicknamed DICE. Worked for the NBA San Antonio Spurs for seven years, and currently develops and researches training methods and coaches athletes at Tokyo Medical and Dental University. He also works as an injury prevention expert for the "ASICS Sports Education Project" and is committed to providing exercise instruction to school teachers and club activities.

Saruta Tsukasa

Tokyo Health Care University Women's Basketball Club Certified Sports Nutritionist, Registered Dietitian

After graduating from Tokyo Kasei Gakuin University, she completed her master's degree at Nihon University Graduate School. After graduation, she worked at a university that trains registered dietitians, while also working as a staff member for the Tokyo Healthcare University women's basketball team, which boasts six consecutive Intercollegiate Championship victories (as of February 6). She adjusts the players' monthly menus and prepares the eating environment for games and away games. She also conducts research on the iron and nutritional status of female athletes and provides conditioning.