The impact of millet-based diets on basketball performance

Abstract

This study examines the impact of a millet-based diet on basketball performance, focusing on endurance, agility, strength, and shooting accuracy. Over an 8-week intervention, 40 collegiate players were assigned to either a millet-based diet group, consuming finger millet (ragi), pearl millet (kambu), and foxtail millet (thinai), or a control group following a standard high-carbohydrate sports diet. Performance was assessed using the Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test (endurance), squat jump (strength), T-Test (agility), and spot shooting accuracy test. Statistical analysis, including paired t-tests for within-group improvements, independent t-tests for between-group comparisons, and Cohen’s d for effect size measurement, revealed significant improvements (p< 0.05) in the millet diet group, with increases in endurance (+12.5%), strength (+10.8%), agility (+9.2%), and shooting accuracy (+7.6%). Cohen’s d indicated a moderate to large effect size, confirming the diet’s impact. These findings suggest that a millet-based diet enhances sustained energy levels, muscle recovery, and key athletic performance metrics, making it a viable nutritional strategy for basketball players, while future research should explore its long-term benefits in elite-level athletes.