How to Keep on Weight During the Basketball Season

During the basketball season, players burn a lot more calories due to the added intense cardiovascular elements of the game. This increase in activity causes weight loss as it burns fat and tones down muscle mass. To preserve your weight and keep your muscle mass intact, increase your daily intake of nourishing foods to offset the calories burned during the season.

Instructions

    • 1

      Figure out how many calories you're burning during a basketball game. According to the Mayo Clinic, someone who weighs 160 lbs. burns approximately 584 during a one-hour game of basketball. So in this example, if you play a one-hour game of basketball four times per week, you are burning an extra 2336 calories weekly during the season.

    • 2

      Calculate how many calories you need to add to your daily diet to offset the burned calories from playing. In this example, you would divide the total number of calories burned weekly -- 2336 -- by the number of days in a week -- seven. Therefore, a 160-lb. person who plays basketball four hours per week would need to eat an extra 333.71 calories daily.

    • 3

      Eat lean proteins and unsaturated fats. Even though you're increasing your calorie intake, you want to make sure you're giving your body calories that it can easily transform into muscle mass. Not only will it make you stronger on the court, but muscle mass weighs more than fat so you'll be making it easier to preserve your weight during the season. Proteins like fish, chicken, beans, nuts, eggs and milk are all good choices.

    • 4

      Do strength training during the season. This will help convert the extra calories you're eating into muscle mass as opposed to body fat. Aim to do 30 minutes of strength training three times per week. Good exercises include push-ups, squats, bicep curls and tricep extensions.