Fitness tips from two UAAP basketball stars

MANILA, Philippines -  Twenty-two-year-old De La Salle University athlete Jed Bryan Manguera returns to his hoop home base — the DLSU Green Archers — after a two-year absence, looking to make an immediate impact after the last rookie season. 

The six-foot forward guard was part of the De La Salle Zobel team that won the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) juniors title in 2007, and is currently in training for the ongoing UAAP season. 

GNC managed to sneak into his busy sked and snatch a few tips on how to keep in shape while winning a few trophies for one’s alma mater. 

Can you describe your fitness routine? What’s a typical Jed Manguera day like? 

JED BRYAN MANGUERA: I usually work out twice a day. I run and lift weights in the morning and then I play basketball in the afternoon.

As practitioners of an aerobic-intensive sport, basketball players are at risk for instant and relentless ready-to-burn carbo-loading, in tandem with the constant demand for rehydration and electrolyte replacement, a nutritional tight rope walk that can have harmful long-term effects. 

I watch what I eat. A healthy diet is very important, in a sport where you can’t be too fat or too thin but maxed up in terms of speed, stamina, and reflexes. 

How does your health program fit with your social life? 

Being fit and healthy gives me the confidence I need to interact and meet people. It also helps me keep up with my busy schedule and active lifestyle. 

I need all the help I can get, and feel blessed that a lot of it had come in convenient supplements that I needn’t go through hell and high water to procure or prove their efficacy. 

GNC Mega Men Sport alone keeps me on optimal levels of micronutrient replacements for everything I lose to sweat and calorie expenditure every time I enter the court. Vitamin C is an extra pro-active shield against seasonal ailments, and 100% Whey Protein keeps my muscles lean and toned without adding a millimeter of fat around his middle.

Like Jed, Juan Miguel “Juami” Tiongson is very conscious of his health not just because he loves sports but also because he’s a role model for aspiring young athletes. Five-foot-nine point guard Tiongson is one of the successful players of the Ateneo Blue Eaglets who made it to the seniors’ division of the UAAP. 

Sports journalists describe him as having exhibited what he can do last season, and now has the chance to finally get his shot at being a full-fledged starter, and finally run the team as brilliantly as he did with the Blue Eagles in high school. 

Describe your fitness routine. 

JUAN MIGUEL TIONGSON: Usually after class, I go straight to the gym to lift weights and do my core exercises. Then I do some of my cardio exercises. Right after cardio, we start our ball practice.

How does your health program fit with your social life? 

I exercise and do weights training with my teammates. This not only helps me to keep fit, I also get to spend time with friends. Exercise becomes fun and enjoyable, and that makes it easier to maintain in terms of leveling up and continuity. 

Describe your preparations for the UAAP season. 

I get myself in shape by eating the right kind of food while maintaining my diet. I try to get myself in the best shape possible.  And I do this with the help of whey protein for muscle construction and reconstruction, creatine for more efficient energy production, and calcium for stronger, less fracture-prone bones. 

Mega Men Sport is available at all GNC stores nationwide.