Eating white bread as a post-workout snack is good for athletes. It speeds up muscle recovery after exercise, as it spikes insulin levels, promoting replenishment of muscle glycogen stores. This process is vital for athletes who do intense workouts every day.
Why does eating white bread after a workout speed up muscle recovery?
After strenuous exercise, muscle glycogen stores are empty. You have to replenish them as soon as possible to speed up recovery.
Consuming sugar or any food with a high glycemic index right after a workout significantly speeds up this process.
Even so, the body needs more than a day to fully replenish empty muscle glycogen stores.
Eating foods high in easily digested carbs right after a workout is key for athletes who exercise daily. Otherwise, athletes may feel fatigue. Improper diet can lead to poor physical performance. So, if you feel fatigue all the time, you probably don’t consume enough carbs.
White bread is high in easily digested carbs. It has about 50 grams of carbs per 100g! Approximately, 83% is starch, 12% is sugar, and only 5% is fiber.[1]
Just a slice of white bread contains up to 3 grams of sugar!
Also, white bread has a pretty high glycemic index. It’s between 88 and 100! It depends on flour type, added sugar, and processing methods.[2]
Hence, white bread spikes blood sugar levels and increases insulin levels. High insulin levels are beneficial right after exhaustive exercise. They support glycogen replenishment in the muscles. This process is crucial for fast muscle recovery.
Whole grain or white bread is better after a workout?
White bread is a better post-workout food than whole wheat bread because it spikes insulin levels.
Whole wheat bread, as all whole grain breads, has up to 3 times more fiber than white bread. Foods high in fiber prevent blood sugar spikes, as fiber delays digestion of carbs.
So, eating white bread is preferable right after exercise.
However, whole wheat bread is much healthier. It’s more nutritious than white bread. It contains substantially more minerals and vitamins. Thus, at all other times of the day, you better consume whole wheat bread, instead of white bread.
| white bread | whole wheat bread | |
| calories | 267 | 254 |
| carbs (grams) | 49 | 43 |
| fiber (grams) | 2.3 | 6 |
| protein (grams) | 9.4 | 12.3 |
| magnesium (mg) | 27 | 76 |
| zinc (mg) | 0.88 | 1.76 |
| manganese (mg) | 0.63 | 2.18 |
| selenium (mcg) | 23.2 | 25.8 |
| vitamin E (mg) | 0 | 2.8 |
How long after exercise should I eat white bread?
You should benefit by eating white bread or any other food high in net carbs right after a workout. The sooner, the better.
In fact, it’s crucial for athletes to eat lots of foods with high-quality carbs within 2–3 hours after intense workouts.
How to eat white bread after a workout for muscle growth & recovery?
You could combine white bread with many foods. For instance, white bread with a high-quality berry jam is a great post-workout snack.
Berries promote muscle recovery because they’re packed with antioxidant compounds, which fight exercise-induced oxidative stress. In fact, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries are all particularly beneficial for athletes.
Actually, one of the best post-workout snacks you can eat is a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread.
Also, you could enjoy whole berries with Greek yogurt. The combination of sugar and antioxidants in berries with high-quality protein in yogurt is beneficial for muscle growth.
A turkey, chicken, or tuna sandwich with white bread is also an excellent port-workout snack. You could add 1–2 slices of avocado to your favorite post-workout snack. Avocado is one of the best foods you can eat after demanding exercise.
Should I eat white bread before exercise?
Athletes should avoid consuming any food within an hour before a workout.
Also, we shouldn’t consume any food with fiber at least two hours before exercise. In fact, endurance athletes should significantly reduce their fiber intake a couple of day before a big race.
In fact, eating white bread right before a workout may affect athletic performance. Fiber may cause discomfort and digestive issues like bloating.
Certainly, if you can’t wait a few hours before exercising, it’s preferable to eat white bread than whole grain bread. It’s digested more easily.
What’s the best time of the day to eat white bread?
Actually, the best time of the day to eat white bread is after strenuous exercise. Only then, we can benefit from high levels of insulin.
The rest of the day, white bread is bad for you. You should prefer consuming whole grain breads.
