NUTRITIONWHITE BREAD may lack the healthy
reputation of wholegrain, but that doesn’t
seem to bother us: it still represents 58
per cent of the bread in Australia’s diet.
So we might as well make the most of it.
According to researchers at Oxford Brookes
University, a simple hack can transform
this supposed nutritional wasteland into
a stamina-popping superfood. Previously,
the downside of your favourite sandwich
staple was its high score on the glycaemic
index (71 compared to wholemeal’s 50),
which causes a short-term spike in your
blood sugar, followed by
a slump in energy. But
the hungry scientists
have demonstrated
that a slice of white can
become a pre-workout
powerhouse – if you
freeze it irst.
Freezing before toasting
reduces your initial surge of
blood glucose by half; instead,
the bread drip-feeds your
muscles with the carby
energy they need for your
morning cardio.
Researchers believe that
this process makes it harder for
enzymes in the gut to convert starch
into sugar, resulting in a slower,
more sustained release of
energy. That’s good news if
you’re hoping to clock a few
kays before work or simply want
to avoid a mid-morning burnout at
your desk.
There’s no need to stick to
mass-produced, chemically treated
supermarket bread, either. White
sourdough is higher in ibre, which
aids digestion and boosts your
gut health. Layer liberally with
our performance-enhancing
spreads (right) and you’ll tuck
into extra itness every morning.
And yes, you still have to eat
your crusts.
Ice your slice of white to ire up
its health credentials and turn it
into an endurance superfood
A Toast to
New Stamina
SPREAD
THE BENEFITS
Lift your performance
levels with these research-
approved combinationsBANANA AND ALMOND BUTTER
The L-arginine in almonds
helps athletes maintain
intense training for longer.
Journal of the International Society
of Sports NutritionFIGS AND RICOTTA
Ricotta contains more whey
protein than any other whole
food – proven to boost
your performance.
Medicine & Science in Sports & ExerciseAPPLE AND PEANUT BUTTER
As well as being packed with
fibre to manage energy
release, apples contain
quercetin, which could
improve your VO2 max.
American Journal of Physiology-
Regulatory, Integrative and
Comparative PhysiologyFREEZING BEFORE
TOASTING REDUCES
YOUR SURGE OF
BLOOD GLUCOSE
WORDS: LOUEE DESSENTJACKSON; PHOTOGRAPHY: BETH CRUTCHFIELD