Find out everything you need to know about the Lakers Superstar LeBron James’ daily diet plan. How he maintains his body with a mixture of a healthy diet and lactose cheat.
LeBron James (36 years) is currently playing his 18th season in the NBA. A lot of players of his age group have already passed their peak and also have retired from the game. But James is still playing basketball at the highest level (again). When asked about his fitness mantra, he generally emphasizes his workout and diet. Let’s go through LeBron’s masterful diet plan.
Standing at 6’9″, James weighs around 250 lbs. With such a body type, LeBron works on both aspects of fitness – workouts and diet. It is estimated that LeBron spend around US$ 1.5 million on his body, to be fit for the game.
His fans and followers might have a glimpse of his workouts and dining habits through James’ social media posts. But we need to go deep (as he does for his well-being) to get to his nutriments.
LeBron is very particular about his body. He has 3 important people in his life for that purpose – trainer Mike Mancias, Personal chef – Chef D, and wife Savannah Brinson. As the requirement of the game, James gives importance to a high protein, lots of carbs, and veggies in his diet.
But if you ask his former Cavs’ teammate – Tristan Thompson, he would laugh at James’ diet like there’s no LeBron James diet plan, unless one considers ample sugar consumption as a “diet plan.” Yes, LeBron is a well-known “Sweet tooth” person. But he balances out the “extra sugar” with his other intakes and workouts.
James’ intake is very situational like regular, pre-game, workouts, post-game, or offseason. We will break the heavy diet plan into the same categories,
Regular and Workout Diet for LeBron James
Reports say James’ day starts with protein and fruit. This could be egg white omelets, sugar-free pancakes, berries, and yogurt. James adds a whole wheat bagel with some peanut butter. This makes him feel lighter and provides sufficient energy for training and practice. James continues to eat fruit like apples, bananas when hungry in the middle of the training, sometimes paired with protein powder.
Wine is also a large part of James’ daily diet, which he believes has additional physical benefits. James once told ESPN in 2018 that wine is good for the heart, which is why he drinks some wine every day. Also “Taco lover James” consumes a healthier version of tacos for his meals – high in carbs, protein, and healthy fats.
Pre-game Diet for LeBron James
Before a game or post-workout, LeBron will often consume Ladder Plant Protein, which aids with muscle growth and provides his body with essential amino acids.
The intensity, the energy required in an NBA game is tremendous. A game runs for 48 minutes in normal time. This would go around 2 hr mark with stoppages for timeouts and fouls. So a player would be consuming a high volume of calories during the period. Obviously like any other athlete, James stacks himself with carbs and protein.
James said about his pre-game appetite, “Before competition for me would be like a chicken breast and maybe a little pasta. The carbs help because you’re going out and playing a lot of minutes. But a salad and some veggies will have me perfectly fine. And before the game, I might have a protein shake and some fruit, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Post game diet
James regularly fills up lost energy and fluids after a game. He reportedly re-hydrates with a combination of water and recovery fluids provided by his trainer, Mike Mancias. The fluids are generally carbohydrate-rich.
James then eats a meal with high-quality protein and carbs, much like his pre-game meal. King James had also been known to get drinks from The Juice Spot – previously owned by himself and his wife.
One famous post by the king himself had James drinking “Peanut Butter Dream” smoothie. Interestingly the ingredients like almond milk, peanut butter, whey, maca, cinnamon, and agave, all rich in protein.
Playoff Season
Playoffs have very different levels altogether in NBA. James also keeps a separate diet plan for the playoff games. He explained the reasons, “The thing that I started cutting down is the sugars. When it comes to the playoffs, it kind of slows down the process of recovery. Throughout the regular season, it’s okay to have a little bit of it. But in the postseason, optimal recovery—whoever can recover the fastest from game to game is going to put themselves in position to be successful the next game,” he said during a video on his UNINTERRUPTED platform.
James continued: “So the sugars I kind of cut out, but the carbs I kind of ramp-up. Because you’re losing so many calories, you’re burning so many calories, burning all your energy throughout those games. So I kind of go heavy on the carbs because it gives you energy. It’s worked for me.”
Cheat day for the King
Well, even athletes like James also have a cheat day. He reportedly indulges himself at the Blaze Pizza place. Well, he is an investor, franchisee, and paid endorser of the made-to-order pizza company. In one of his shared receipt copies, the pizza had a whole lot of 16 toppings on it, mostly fresh basil, turkey meatballs, kalamata olives, and banana peppers.
Also, he is seen enjoying lots of wine and sugary products on his cheat day. Well, it can be allowed for the king, who has a strict routine trough out the season. He can also negate the side effects in his future workouts.
In total, the LeBron James diet is every bit as epic as the man himself. It has all sets of mixtures and takes every aspect of his routine into account. His body type and requirements might differ from others but one must follow his obsession for perfection and regularity even in his dietary plans.
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