As he has leaped over helpless defenders and delivered thunderous dunks, Lakers forward Larry Nance Jr. apparently has relied on a key ingredient to help him defy gravity.

It does not just involve his athleticism, his quick hops or his incredible timing. Like Lakers rookie forward Brandon Ingram, Nance has also frequently consumed BiPro, a whey protein isolate brand. Nance also partnered with BiPro, which says its protein water has 20 grams of protein, zero grams of sugar, zero grams of fat, zero grams of carbohydrate and 90 calories per bottle.

“As a power forward, I need as much strength and explosion as I can get when I’m on the court. The guys I go up against night after night are physical and imposing,” Nance said in a statement. “I recover from my workouts with BiPro to stay fresh and strong. That way, when I’ve got a path to the rim, I can finish a possession with a powerful dunk.”

Nance, who has had Crohn’s Disease since he was 16 years old, also found that BiPro’s ingredients matches his strict diet. It helped he took particular liking to the taste of the brand’s strawberry powder.

“I’ve done extensive research on protein supplements,” Nance said, “and found BiPro to be by far the best fit for me because of its high purity and minimal, natural ingredients.”

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Follow L.A. Daily News Lakers beat writer Mark Medina on Twitter and on Facebook. E-mail him at mark.medina@langnews.com