An NBA Player's Life on the Road with Crohn's

Larry Donnell Nance Jr. is a professional NBA player for the Los Angeles Lakers. He played college basketball for Wyoming and he is best known for this professional play in the Mountain West Conference. When Nance was 16 years old, he was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, a painful medical condition that disrupts the digestive system and triggers symptoms such as abdominal pain and cramps, diarrhea, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. His growth was stunted because of the disease and his health was weak, leading him to constantly feel tired and lacking in energy. “It was definitely tough. At that age, all you want to do is be normal and not stand out from everybody else. No one wants to learn that you’ve got a disease you’ve got to live with for the rest of your life,” he said.

Nance’s idols

As a young child, Nance looked up to NFL quarterback David Garrard, who also lived with the chronic condition. “He was my idol for more than what he did on the field. He showed me that being a professional athlete with Crohn's disease was possible,” stated Nance. Since his diagnosis, Nance has been receiving intravenous infusions of the medication Remicade every month and a half. “The Remicade is what keeps me healthy, and when that starts to dwindle a little bit, I feel it. I wouldn't say it affects me too much -- I'm pretty good at fighting through it -- but it's definitely something that when it gets to that time, I start taking more naps and stuff like that,” he said.

Luckily for Nance, by making necessary lifestyle changes, following special diets, and monitoring his health, his condition can be controlled most of the time. “One of the biggest things that trainers and strength coaches love for athletes to have are different kinds of nuts and seeds because there’s so much protein in there. But that’s something I absolutely cannot have under any circumstances. It makes ensuring that I get enough protein very difficult. People with Crohn's also can't have too many raw vegetables, so I try to stay away from those. I also can’t have popcorn or anything greasy. It could absolutely be worse, though. I’m pretty fortunate because there are a lot of people with Crohn’s who can barely eat anything. It’s a very individualized diet,” he said.

A normal day’s diet

When asked what his diet on a normal day looks like, Nance stated “I’m pretty basic. Every day I get to the gym and our team chef will have an omelette station up and running. My go-to is three eggs, cheese, and ham, just to get some protein in there. And nothing so heavy that I can’t run around. Workouts are anywhere between an hour and a half to three hours, depending on the day. I can usually make it through the day without eating more, but sometimes I have, say, a BiPro protein water on the side.”

Photo credit: 2015-04-01_19-33-57_ILCE-6000_5372_DxO by Miguel Discart