How to sandwich around exercise

The previous article was about how to sandwich with nutrition in mind. This article will explore how to sandwich around exercise.

How to sandwich around exercise

A sandwich can be a convenient meal for athletes because it is portable and can be used to deliver important nutrients for sport.

“Around exercise” refers to the pre-exercise and post-exercise meals.

• The pre-exercise meal should provide enough carbohydrate for fuel. It should also be low in fibre and fat to minimise gastrointestinal distress and to allow rapid digestion of the carbohydrate for fuel. It can contain some protein for satiety purposes.
• The post-exercise meal should provide sufficient carbohydrate and protein for recovery.

It is important to highlight that foods eaten for athletic performance often differ from those eaten for general health. In order to maintain good health, athletes should follow healthy eating recommendations outside of the periods around hard training sessions and competition. This is especially important for athletes facing health issues and older athletes.

The bread

In the context of exercise, the bread used in a sandwich will be a major contributor of carbohydrate. Therefore, low-carbohydrate options (e.g. keto or paleo breads) are not suitable for many activities. In addition, higher fibre (e.g. multigrain) and/or higher fat (e.g. croissant, brioche) breads should be avoided for the reasons specified above.

Suitable breads include white sandwich bread (regular or gluten-free), white rolls and white wraps. Athletes who do not have gastrointestinal issues can opt for slightly higher fibre options such as wholemeal varieties of the previously mentioned breads, corn tortillas, etc.

When comparing the nutrient content of different breads, compare based on the serving size you are likely to eat, e.g. for a sandwich a serving size is 2 slices.

The fillings

Pre- and post-exercise sandwich fillings should provide additional carbohydrate and protein (optional pre-exercise, required post-exercise).

Athletes requiring more carbohydrates, such as those participating in intense or long duration endurance exercise will require larger amounts of carbohydrate. This is easier to achieve with sweet fillings, such as jam, honey, bananas and sweet spreads (e.g. Nutella).

Athletes who prefer savoury fillings (e.g. cheese, cold meats) can either add a sweet carbohydrate-rich condiment (e.g. chutney, jam, tomato or barbecue sauce) or eat more than one sandwich. Another option who might sound a little wacky is to use a starchy carbohydrate as filling (e.g. sweet potato, potato).

Because vegetables tend to be high in fibre, they are best reserved for the post-exercise sandwich and other meals in the athlete’s daily diet.

Sample sandwiches

Peanut butter and banana (pre-workout)

• 2 slices white bread
• 1 regular spread smooth peanut butter
• 1 banana

1296 kJ, 49.6g carbohydrate, 9.9g protein, 6.4g fat, 4.7g fibre

Peanut butter and honey (pre-workout)

• 2 slices white bread
• 1 banana
• 2 tsp honey

1235 kJ, 59.9g carbohydrate, 7.7g protein, 1.5g fat, 4.1g fibre

Butter and jam (pre-workout)

• 2 slices white bread
• 1 regular spread butter
• 2 tsp mixed berry jam

959 kJ, 38.3g carbohydrate, 6.4g protein, 5.1g fat, 2.1g fibre

Sweet potato (pre-workout)

• 2 slices white bread
• 1/2 small sweet potato, roasted

1128 kJ, 42.6g carbohydrate, 8.2g protein, 6.3g fat, 4.4g fibre

Turkey and cheese (pre- or post-workout)

• 2 slices white bread
• 1 slice turkey breast
• 1 slice Tasty cheese
• 2 tsp chutney

1321 kJ, 35.2g carbohydrate, 15.2g protein, 8.9g fat, 2.2g fibre

[Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash]

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