Putting His Weight at Risk in NCAA Career, How Paolo Banchero Recovered From Unusual Health Condition During His Time at Duke?

There have been several players who stood the test of time and strength to excel in their game; however, there is one outstanding player who has broken barriers with his consistency. Paolo Banchero has been a remarkable athlete who has received several accolades at different levels of his career in basketball. During his time at O’Dea High School in Seattle, the Italian-American athlete led his team to the Class 3A state championship and was also named the MVP.

Then, in college, he played for the Duke Blue Devils and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year in 2022. Moreover, he was also a consensus second-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC. After his freshman season, Banchero declared for the 2022 NBA draft and was selected as the first overall pick by the Orlando Magic. In 2023, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, along with the NBA All-Rookie First Team. This season, he was selected as an NBA All-Star while averaging 23 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. His path has been rising continuously; however, it takes a lot from him to perform that way.

Paolo Banchero, the unwavering basketball hero

An outstanding player that he is, Paolo Banchero is known to have a unique health condition related to heavy sweating during games. This excessive sweating has led him to experience serious cramping, which in turn has forced him to step to the sidelines in the past.

The same has been disclosed in a recent Instagram post that features some information about Paolo’s health issue, stating that he used to lose 7 pounds per game while playing for Duke. The post has been captioned, “Paolo Banchero would lose as much as seven pounds per game and had to drink a special fluid to help stay hydrated and fight off cramps.”

The post also contained a video where he is on the bench in the middle of the game, getting some assistance to relieve the pain from the cramps. While this is rolling, the basketball commentator elaborates on his condition, saying, “Cramps have been an issue for him in two of the biggest games, first against Kentucky and then later against Gonzaga in that game on Friday. He said in a press conference, This has never happened to me before.”

She added, “So, they have gone to the scientists. Dr. Jeff has actually done a sweat test on Paolo to analyze his sweat, and you can see him. He is a heavy sweater who loses about 7 pounds per game, so they’re having him drink a special fluid called BOA. It is an oxygenated fluid that will actually absorb immediately once it goes in his mouth to help him not have cramps. This is a very unusual issue, but they are all over it. I love that sports science helps keep their big man on the floor,” as she explained how he has been going on so strongly into his games with the support of many behind him.

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Being a rare and unusual condition, it plays a significant role in Paolo’s career for several reasons.

Why shouldn’t it be taken for granted?

As common knowledge, basketball is a high-intensity physical sport; hence, players tend to sweat. However, in Paolo’s case, things take an extreme turn. As mentioned above, he loses around 7 pounds per game and has to consume a special fluid to stay hydrated enough to feel fine throughout the game. This impacts his performance on the court, despite being a good player.

Losing a large amount of sweat in every game can lead to dehydration and other severe health issues related to it. To keep him from cramping his legs, medical experts have to employ special strategies to ensure he can perform to the best of his ability.

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Although a fine player, persistence in these issues can have untoward implications for the future of his career in the sport. Moreover, it will call for a team effort in a heavy-duty sense, as they’ll always have to consider his condition while planning his training and game strategies.