POWERBAR Playbook Series | U.S. Version - PowerBar.Com

START FULLY FUELEDPowerBar Playbook Series | Sports Nutrition For BasketballGenerally, complete muscle glycogen depletion doesn’t occur from asingle basketball game or practice. But glycogen stores do get utilizedevery time you play. So, if fuel reserves aren’t consistently replenishedafter exercise, deficits build, and your legs start to feel dead.To top off muscle glycogen fuel stores before play, the usual advice forathletes is to consume a pre-exercise meal somewhere between 2–4hours before you start playing ball. Choose familiar high-carbohydratefoods and beverages, and avoid slow-to-digest fatty and high-fiber foodsprior to play.If you’re at the elite level, basketball games are often played at night. Inthese situations, players will frequently have a pre-game meal at lunchtime,then rest for a few hours in the afternoon, and follow that with fluidsand a light, high-carbohydrate meal or snack about three hours beforegame time.If you get hungry once you’re at the event venue, make sure you haveeasy-to digest high-carbohydrate snacks on hand, such as a POWERBAR ®Performance bar, and consume the snack along with fluids.IDEAS FOR HIGH-CARBOHYDRATE PRE-GAME MEALS(2–4 hours before practice or a game)Cold or hot cereal with fruit or fruit juice and low-fat or nonfat milkFrench toast or pancakes with maple or fruit syrupToast with jam or honey, and low-fat yogurtBreakfast burrito (scrambled eggs, salsa, cheese in a flour tortilla) andfruit nectarBagel or English muffin, with jelly and/or peanut butter, banana,and fruit juicePasta or cheese ravioli with low-fat, tomato-based sauce, French breador low-fat breadsticks, steamed vegetables, low-fat/nonfat milk, puddingsnack, canned fruitGrilled chicken sandwich with frozen low-fat yogurt, and baked potato withlow-fat sour cream or salsaTurkey sub sandwich with tomato, lettuce, mustard, baked chips, fruit juice,low-fat frozen yogurtThick-crust cheese pizza, low-fat gelato, and canned peachesBaked or grilled lean beef, chicken, turkey, or fish, steamed rice, dinner roll,cooked green beans, low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit juiceFor more information and additional copies, go to: www.powerbar.com/playbooksAll trademarks and other intellectual properties are owned by Société des Produits Nestlé S.A., Vevey, Switzerland or areused with permission.6