Sport Hitting a wall

Sport Fitness
A

actusreus

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I'm 34, male, weigh 208, at 6'4.

This week is a little better than standard, but here's what i did:

Monday: 3 miles jogging, medium intensity with lap of sprinting at the end, 45 dumbell curls after.
Tuesday: Same
Wednesday: Play basketball for 1.5 hours.
Thursday: Same as Monday and Tuesday
Friday: Same, increased run by 1 lap, also sprinting.
Saturday: Basketball, 2 hours.

I think I ate fairly healthy this week:

No eating out, very few sweets (a couple of popscicles, 1 kid's size chocolate bar, the rest medium portions of things like chicken stir fry, spinach brown rice and salmon, chicken burrito, oatmeal and raisins with skim milk or no fat yogurt and fruit every morning, tons of water.)

Here's my question: How come I can't keep my wind for any sustained period when I play ball? I guarantee I work out a lot more than most guys on that court, but after 1 or maybe 2 sprints down the court, I'm totally winded. In addition, I've lost weight at this rate (was 235 16 months ago), but I haven't seen lower than 207 since I started running.) Shouldn't some of my jogging cardio translate to the ball court? I mean, it's not like I'm loafing on the treadmill, I'm soaked and gasping for air when I get done.

Any suggestions?
 
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basically it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

You are eating too much.

so eat less, or you will need to exercise even more. Cut out that junk, you did not eat that healthy in my opinion this week. If you need to eat junk, limit it to one thing, not like 5 things. Another thing is, why arent you lifting weights. theres another problem you have. read the weight training stickies, and the nutrition ones.
 
wow

I have to admit, that's pretty discouraging. Basically, last week, I ate about 4 times worse than that. During the week this week, I was essentially hungry every day, all day. So, pretty much, the solution is: exercise more, and starve all week?
 
In my opinion, at 6' 4", 208 is a pretty decent weight for you. Well, it certainly depends on what your muscle to fat ratio is, but still 208 is not extremely overweight.

In my opinion, your diet, with the exception of the popsicle and the candy bar, was pretty good. I really can't tell (nor can anyone else) how much you actually ate since you just listed a few different types of food items. So, I can't say you're eating too much or too little. You have to figure that out for yourself.

Find out roughly how many calories you burn in a day, and determine a good number for how many calories you should eat. I'll tell you right now, it's better to eat more and exercise more than to eat less and exercise the same. When you start going into an extreme calorie deficit, your metabolism will slow.

Honestly, I can't figure out why the last poster said you ate 5 junk foods. Your diet looks pretty good.

Popsicles- Maybe not the best choice unless they're made from 100% real fruit juice. If you like them, you can make your own from real juice you know is healthy. That way you can really control how much sugar is in them.

Chocolate- Again, not that bad if it's dark (at least 70%). Dark chocolate is high in antioxidants, relatively low in calories, and has some good fats in it. Just keep it in moderation, (a couple of little pieces a day) and you'll be doing something good for your health.

Chicken Stir fry- Nothing wrong here. Chicken is a good source of lean protein, and the vegetables are good sources of fiber and antioxidants.

Spinach- Great! I have nothing more to say.

Brown Rice- Good source of fiber and complex carbohydrates.

Salmon- Wonderful. High in omega 3's and a great source of lean protein.

Chicken Burrito- Also a great source of protein and fiber. (I'm assuming there are beans in it.)

Oatmeal and raisins- Also a good choice. I think we all know that oatmeal is pretty good for our health.

Yogurt- Also a very good choice. I personally stick to whole milk yogurt, but you can do nonfat if you worry about your fat intake. As long as it's plain yogurt and doesn't have a bunch of added sugar, it's fine.


So, honestly, you shouldn't feel discouraged. You didn't eat a ton of junk. Aside from the sweets, your diet is great. You just may have to tweak the amount you eat or how much you exercise.

And, with feeling winded and out of breath, it may not have anything to do with your overall fitness level. If your breathing actually feels obstructed or like it's difficult to get a good breath of air. You may have asthma. Many people have it, including me. So, you shouldn't believe this nonsense that you're not trying hard enough. Get it checked out.


I hope this was helpful. don't be discouraged by the last response. No one can know if you're eating too much if you don't actually tell us how much you're eating. You don't have to starve yourself. You just need to determine how many calories you need to be taking in and make a few adjustments to your workout routine.
 
forgive me if i discouraged you. I did not intend. I just said 5 as a ballpark figure. I guess I was just never used to eating sweets when I was cutting.

for the calories, you need to figure out your maintenance.

but I do not know why sp didnt mention anything about lifting. That should be the first thing on your agenda, as it promotes fat loss and helps you maintain your muscle. As long as you are in a deficit, dont worry about bulking up by lifting, because it wont happen.
 
Many ball games involve high intensity sprinting while chasing the ball mixed in with lighter activity. Perhaps doing some high intensity interval training for some of your cardio workouts may help the ball game performance?

Or are you hitting the wall by bonking (running out of glycogen / carbs)? If so, you may have to eat more carbs between your last workout and your ball games, or drink sports drinks during the longer ball games (note: sports drinks are not good at other than during or immediately after long workouts that may lead to bonking).
 
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I assume you are not counting calories? You should consider it.

As far as fitness goes etc. it is the interval training that gets you there, IMO. I was the same as you (I'm about 6'5, bball player) struggling to play half a game, but after doing some HIIT for a couple of weeks I could notice a difference.

HIIT, three to four times a week, balls to the wall 20mins (you can't go that hard on the bball court as you would not be able to continue, you would be lying on the court, dead.)

Count calories. Work smarter.

If you are wanting to loose fat you should lift weights, in my experience. I was all cardio, no weights, and I got nowhere. Sure, I lost alot of weight (nb: weight vs. fat) but you really are going nowhere.

You need the muscle if you are going to still be lean at 35, 40, 60, whatever.

As for the weights, try more compound movements (squat, bent over row, pull downs, etc.) as opposed to dumbell curls (isolation). Get the muscles burning the fat for you - both in and out of the gym.

Get your HR monitor and wear it during a weights session you will see what I am talking about.

IMO
 
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basically it all comes down to calories in vs. calories out.

You are eating too much.

---------------------------------------------------------

(damn this computer-techno world)

Anyway,

Please be careful, the above quote is not neccesarily true.

If your metabolism is heading into starvation mode your weight loss will slow.

Should you respond by eating less you will get nowhere. The body will lower the amount of energy it uses at rest (BMR) to meet your reduced caloric intake. At this point you are in big trouble - your weight loss will end and you will be at great risk of putting any lost weight back on.

I can only advise you of this possibility, others are more qualified to direct you further.

Bodybuilders rarely have this problem as they have plenty of lean muscle to keep their bodies revved up even when in a caloric restriction. It is mostly amateurs who are frustrated with their bodies and go into an unplanned cardio fury without even knowing about BMR, metabolism, weights, etc.

So, yeah, calories in < calories out for weight loss, fair enough, but it is possible for the body to reduce calories out as a survival response to extreme deficit dieting.
 
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thanks

All very thoughtful and helpful posts. Thanks very much!
 
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