What are the Best Supplements for Basketball Players?

Like all other athletes, basketball players have their specific supplementation needs—especially those who train seriously and plan on becoming professionals. 

Basketball is an intense and dynamic sport that requires a lot of sprinting, jumping, and physical battles with the opposing team, and so in order to be a good player, you need speed, agility, strength, power, and of course, skills. But along with that, you also need to be able to recover well and for your body to be consistently healthy, which is exactly what we will be discussing today. 

In this article, we’re going to talk about supplements for basketball players. More specifically, we’re going to focus on which the best ones are and why they’re needed. If that sounds like an interesting topic to you, then keep on reading. 

3 Best Supplements for Basketball Players 

Before we begin our list, there’s one thing we need to make clear from the start. There are no miracle supplements – none of the products we will talk about below will make you become like Mike. Nor will they magically help you grow muscles and get quicker. All they are is a supplement – a substance you add to an already great regime in order to make it that one percent better. So remember, the most important things are always nutrition, sleep, training, and then supplements. Not the other way around. 

Now that we’ve got that covered let’s start the list. 

Protein Powder 

On average, an athlete needs around 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, and the heavier you are, the harder it becomes to hit that number by just eating normal food. If you’re someone tall and more than 190 pounds, you’d need to be downing eggs, meat, and yogurt at every meal, and that’s not only boring but also expensive. 

Thankfully there’s an easy way to solve that problem – with the help of protein powder. Our first supplement on the list is perhaps the most popular and widely used of them all, and for a good reason. We all love having something sweet, and we also love shakes. Protein powder gives us a way to enjoy a tasty drink while helping us get the needed protein that will help our bodies recover, and our muscles grow. For basketball players, protein powders are a great way to get the needed calories for the day, and they’re also a terrific solution for pre and post-practice meals. Of course, there are many kinds of protein powders on the market, so if you’re wondering which one to get, then go ahead and look at some trusted reviews for guidance. 

Creatine 

Creatine is the most well-researched supplement on the market, and it’s proven to have a positive effect on muscle-building and recovery. Of course, your body naturally produces creatine, but its supplementation can lead to you having more energy to train over time. That’s because creatine is used to produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the body’s main energy source.Basketball is a very energy-consuming sport that requires you to run, jump, spin, and push for hours at a time, so the addition of creatine to your diet can help you have the needed energy for longer periods of time, thus enhancing your performance.

Electrolytes 

All sports that require you to run and sprint are bound to leave you drenched in sweat, especially if you play for hours at a time. Basketball is one of those – typically, by the end of the first quarter, players are already sweating, and by the time the fourth quarter starts, their jerseys are already drenched. 

Even though sweating is the body’s way to thermoregulate, excessive sweating can lead to the loss of electrolytes, which your body needs in order to function properly. An easy and affordable way to replenish and hydrate your body is with isotonic drinks full of electrolytes, such as calcium, potassium, magnesium, and sodium, which will help you feel better immediately and will save your body from cramping and feeling weak. 

Some Honorable Mentions 

The three supplements we talked about at length are the ones we consider essential for a basketball player. However, there are some non-essential ones that can also be beneficial and help advance your recovery process. They include: 

• Joint Health tablets 
• Multivitamins
• Omega-3s 
• Energy drinks

In Conclusion 

Hopefully, after reading this article, you’re more certain about your supplement needs as a basketball player. It’s key to remember that you only truly need the basics and a good regime; that’s more than enough for you to be able to progress as an athlete and to see improved performances over time. 

And if you’re a professional basketball player that’s already tested a fair share of supplements, we’d love to hear which ones you consider to be essential in the comments below.