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bassist_king1's avatar

What kind of foods to eat before/after working out, jogging, or practicing a sport (specifically basketball)

Asked by bassist_king1 (310points) April 23rd, 2008 from iPhone

what kinds of foods are hood to eat before and after working out, jogging, or playing sports(I’m mostly concerned about basketball) I’ve heard its good to have carbs before and protein after for muscle regrowth. Are gatorades good? When should I have them? Is powerade or energy drinks (redbull etc) better then a Gatorade?

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13 Answers

Fallstand's avatar

I asked a similar question a few weeks ago, some of those answers may help
http://www.fluther.com/disc/10299/what-is-a-good-meal-to-eat-before-playing-a-sport/

hollywoodduck's avatar

Energy drinks and exercise do NOT mix. You’ll be losing fluid from sweating and then the caffeine in these drinks will double that effect, making you very very dehydrated. Not a good combination at all.

If you want to drink something other than water, I would say Gatorade/Powerade is your best bet. Yes it contains a lot of sugar but it doesn’t have the caffeine in it.

gailcalled's avatar

Or water w. a pack of Emergen-C mixed in. No artificial colors, or sugars as in Gatorade but same enzymes; and packets fits easily into a small pocket.

bassist_king1's avatar

is it better to have water instead of a Gatorade?

buster's avatar

i eat nuts, raisins, and tuna when i need a blast of energy.

Trance24's avatar

Carbs are real good thats what runners are mostly told but it is great advice for all athletes. Its good to eat like some pasta and stuff the night before a big game, or working out at the gym. Proteins are also very important, and potassium helps reduce the lactic acid that builds up.

gooch's avatar

Your diet sounds good but NO to energy drinks and for every one Gatorade you drink you should drink an equal amount of water after.

newanda411's avatar

agreed, if you’re going to drink gatorade, or any sports drink, balance it with equal water or you’ll feel sluggish and increasingly more thirsty. i wouldn’t consume all that much of any kind of energy drink—i’ve always found it most effective to add my own gatorade powder to water for dilution purposes.

i’ve found that carbs are important as a pre-workout energy source, yes, but proteins are crucial, too, as they contribute that energy source.

bassist_king1's avatar

what kinda foods have those, and are avaliable at local grocery stores or walmart or 7–11?

ninjaxmarc's avatar

you have a health store in your neighborhood? Like a trader joes, whole foods? Health bars, trail mix and lots of water is what I go with

shilolo's avatar

I’ve seen recently that some professional and amateur athletes are drinking Pedialyte, a pediatric rehydration solution for kids with diarrhea, in stead of Gatorade. It has fewer calories and a higher salt content, which is very important for the intestinal absorption of water and concentration of urine (a way to hold on to the water in the body). I haven’t tried it myself, but some of my soccer teammates have with positive responses.

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