The amount of carbohydrates and protein that nutritionists recommend may differ, but generally these two are what basketball players need more. Nutritionists recommend that a balanced diet should contain about 60-65% of carbohydrates, 15-20% of fat and 10-15% of protein. Make sure to eat vegetables, fruits and whole grain food. Leather made basketballs are best for indoor games, synthetic basketballs for outdoor games and rubber for children. Of course, the basketball hoop is important and there are different kinds of backboards to choose from. Some basketball trainers would include weight lifting exercises in their training, like bench press, shoulder press, leg extensions and press downs. Experts say that the health drinks available in the market today can be categorized depending on the need of the consumers. There are also health drinks that are specially made for those who play rigorous sports such as basketball. There are those that are made to just deliver essential mineral and vitamins in the body. There are also studies conducted by the Women s Sports Foundation that adolescents who are regularly involved in team sports are less likely to use drugs, be in abusive relationships and have higher chances of finishing high school and continuing to college. They develop self-confidence, making them physically, mentally and emotionally healthy. Your shooting hand should be at the seams of the ball. The thumb should provide support on the ball but the force should come from the palm of the shooting hand. Concentrate on the ring and visualize the target. Make sure that the foot, on the same side of your shooting hand, shooting elbow and the shooting forefinger is aligned with the center of the rim. Fit is equally important in finding the right basketball shoes because this will ensure your comfort while doing the exercises. Since the feet expand when worn out, tight shoes are not advisable because it will only cause feet discomfort. Oversized shoes, on the other hand, are also not advisable because you can slip when you are playing.