Protein plays three critical roles for basketball players. First, it is the main structural component of muscles. Second, the enzymes responsible for producing the energy necessary to power muscles are proteins. And third, protein can supply up to 15 percent of the energy used during long practices and hard games.

Some basketball players get too little protein, while others overdo it. This is because basketball players tend not to monitor their protein intake as they do their carbohydrate and fat intake. Also, few players recognize and take full advantage of the performance-boosting benefits of consuming protein both during and after workouts.

Monday through Sunday
A sedentary person or light exerciser requires about 1 gram of protein for every 3 pounds of bodyweight on a daily basis. For example, a sedentary person weighing 180 pounds needs about 60 grams of carbohydrate daily. A player maintaining a moderate training load requires about 1 gram of carbohydrate for every 2 pound of bodyweight. The hardest-training players need as much as 1 gram per pound of bodyweight. For athletes of all levels, protein should account for approximately 15 percent of calories consumed, whereas carbohydrate should account for 60 percent and fat the other 25. Protein and carbohydrate yield four calories per gram, while fat yields nine.

The body cannot utilize more than about 1.9 grams of ingested protein per kilogram of bodyweight daily. Any excess protein will be quickly converted to fat and stored. Eating too much protein also causes dehydration and loss of bone calcium.

Improving Performance
The role of protein in improving exercise performance is becoming increasingly recognized. For the previous two decades, sports nutrition research focused on the benefits of carbohydrate and fluid supplementation during exercise. Fluid and carbohydrate replenishment can improve temperature regulation, reduce cardiovascular stress, delay the onset of fatigue and improve endurance performance. This research established the scientific underpinnings for the ideal composition of a sports drink, which includes sodium, potassium and 6-8% carbohydrate.

Taking in carbohydrate during exercise delays fatigue by increasing the amount of energy that is supplied by blood glucose and thereby slowing the rate of muscle glycogen depletion. The hormone insulin is responsible for delivering carbohydrate to the muscle cell. Insulin is released by the pancreas automatically in response to increasing glucose levels in the blood.

Protein also stimulates insulin release. When a small amount of protein is consumed with carbohydrate (4 grams of carbohydrate to 1 gram of protein), there is a stronger insulin response and glucose is delivered to the working muscles more quickly. The result is greater glycogen conservation and an increase in endurance. In a study conducted at the University of Texas, a sports drink containing carbohydrate and protein increased endurance by 24 percent as compared to a conventional, carbohydrate-only sports drink and by 57 percent as compared to water.

In extended workouts and races (more than 90 minutes), protein consumption can delay fatigue still further by serving as a direct energy source. After 90 minutes of fairly high-intensity exercise, protein contributes as much as 15 percent of the muscles' energy supply. In the absence of additional protein consumption, this energy comes from the breakdown or "cannibalization" of muscle proteins. The increased breakdown of muscle protein during exercise causes muscle damage and soreness and slows recovery. Consuming protein in a sports drink during exercise reduces the breakdown of muscle protein.

Protein and Muscle Recovery
Following exercise, protein plays a powerful role in rebuilding and replenishing muscle cells, especially when combined with carbohydrate. As a general rule, within the first hour after a workout, try to consume between 30 and 60 grams of protein. The lesser amount will suffice after a lighter workout, whereas you'll need the greater amount after a hard or long workout. (Also, larger players need more than smaller ones.) In addition, consume about 1 gram of protein for every 4 grams of carbohydrate.

Research has shown that consuming carbohydrate and protein together within an hour of completing exercise results in faster muscle glycogen resynthesis and faster muscle protein rebuilding than when carbohydrate is taken alone, or when both are taken more than an hour after exercise. In one study, a carbohydrate-protein recovery drink decreased post-exercise muscle damage, increased post-exercise muscle glycogen synthesis, and extended next-workout endurance significantly more than a sports drink containing carbohydrate and no protein.

Summary
In order to maximize the health and performance benefits of protein, including stronger muscles, better endurance, and faster recovery, follow these simple protein consumption guidelines.