Complex carbohydrates as refined starches are found in:
- biscuits, pastries and cakes
- pizzas
- sugary processed breakfast cereals
- white bread
- white flour
- white pasta
- White rice.
Simple carbohydrates
Simple carbohydrates are also known as sugars. They also exist in either a natural or refined form.
Natural sugars are found in fruit and vegetables.
Refined sugars are found in:
- biscuits, cakes and pastries
- chocolate
- honey and jams
- jellies
- brown and white cane sugar
- pizzas
- prepared foods and sauces
- soft drinks
- sweets and snack bars.
Fibre
- Fibre helps your digestive system to process food and absorbs nutrients.
- Fibre lowers blood cholesterol.
- Fibre helps to control blood sugar levels, which in turn controls appetite.
There are two types of fibre: insoluble and soluble.
Insoluble fibre
Insoluble helps your bowel to pass food by making stools soft and bulky. This type of fibre helps prevent constipation.
Insoluble fibre is found in the following foods:
- beans
- brown rice
- fruits with edible seeds
- lentils
- maize
- oats
- pulses
- wheat bran
- wholegrain breads
- wholegrain cereals
- wholemeal breads
- wholemeal cereals
- wholemeal pasta
- Whole-wheat flour.
Soluble fibre
Soluble fibre contains gums and pectin. This type of fibre lowers cholesterol levels and controls blood sugar. It can be found in all fruit and vegetables, but the following are rich sources:
- legumes
- oats
- pears
- Strawberries.
A basketball player will need fibre so they will feel empty before they can play, this will help with the performance of the player, as they will no longer feel heavy, but lighter and more agile, this will maximise performance, as basketball players are constantly running back and forth, and, as they feel lighter, there will be less stress on their bodies as they are taking their shots.
As well as fibres, a basketball player will need lots of water; Water replaces the liquids in the body and can help a lot with digestion, making it easier. Water can be found on its own and in many isotonic, glucose and hypertonic drinks. Sports drinks such as these are meant to replace fluids lost, much faster than water. Water is definitely needed in training to hydrate the sports person for longer periods of training, which is vital for the development of the athlete.
Here is a meal planner for a basketball player; it contains essential foods that contain carbohydrates, both complex and simple carbohydrates.
Meal 1
Cereal (avoid highly sweetened cereals)
Banana slices
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Toast/jam
Pineapple juice
Water
Meal 2
Chicken noodle soup
Crackers
Orange
Low-fat yogurt
Water
Meal 3
Poached Egg
Toast/jam
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Orange juice
Water
Meal 4
Pancakes
Applesauce
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Grape juice
Water
Meal 5
Turkey sandwich
Apple
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Tomato juice
Water
Meal 6
Cottage cheese
Breadsticks
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Apple juice
Water
Meal 7
Spaghetti/tomato sauce
Bread
Milk (low-fat or skimmed)
Orange juice
Water
I have chosen the above foods, as they are very high in vital nutrients, e.g. Spaghetti and/ or bread are very high in carbohydrates.
On Match-day a basketball player should have all these vital meals as they will optimize performance of the athlete and aid in their digestive system and make them lighter during the game making them more comfortable all round and improve their ability in the sport. g
