Energy Bars Unwrapped
Matthew G. Kadey, M.S., R.D.
Her Sports + Fitness Magazine
A lot has changed since 1986 when PowerBar introduced the first carbo-rich bar for endurance athletes. Once found only in health food stores and the backpacks of mountain climbers, the now ubiquitous energy bar has become the 21st century food of choice, sold everywhere from Wal-Mart to organic cafes. And many of these products claim a variety of benefits, from providing energy enough for a marathon to meeting a woman's specific nutritional needs. With all the choices and high-powered marketing, who could blame you for wondering, "How do I know what's right for me?" Let us help.
Pre-workout
"The crux of a pre-workout bar needs to be carbohydrates," says Tara Gidus, M.S., R.D., a sports dietitian and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. When eaten an hour or so before a workout or race, a carb-rich energy bar can top off carbohydrate stores called glycogen. Because glycogen is predominantly what your muscles burn for energy during moderate- to high-intensity activity, eating a pre-exercise bar means you'll have more reserves during a workout.
How many carbs should you look for? "I recommend finding a bar with 25 to 40 grams of carbohydrate and 100 to 200 calories," says Gidus. However, she cautions that a pre-workout bar should have minimal amounts of fat, protein and fiber. "These will slow down digestion, which can lead to unwelcome stomach unrest during exercise." In other words, find a bar that is predominantly quick-to-digest high-glycemic carbs such as dried fruit, cane juice or honey with no more than five grams of fat and fiber and 10 grams of protein.
What We Like
PowerBar Pria Grain Essentials Orchard Apple Cinnamon Crisp (powerbarpria.com)
160 calories, 31 grams carbs, 2 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 5 grams fiber
Kashi Chewy Granola Bar Cherry Dark Chocolate (kashi.com)
120 calories, 24 grams carbs, 2 grams fat, 5 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Honey Stinger Apple Cinnamon with Cranberries (honeystinger.com)
180 calories, 28 grams carbs, 3 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 1 gram fiber
The Long Workout
Similar to your pick for a pre-workout bar, your choice for extra energy during long workouts (more than an hour) should be one containing roughly 70 percent of its calories from quick-digesting carbs. When you exercise past the 60-minute mark, says Kristine Clark, Ph.D., R.D., director of sports nutrition at Pennsylvania State University, the carbohydrates in an energy bar can raise your blood sugar levels and provide glycogen, sparing your body from raiding its glycogen stores in your muscles. This is an excellent way to avoid hitting the wall before crossing the finish line as well as curbing hunger during prolonged physical activity. Aim for 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrate for each hour of activity.
Clark recommends breaking bars into equal-sized pieces prior to exercise and eating the smaller chunks throughout the event. "This will prevent too much digestion from taking place at once, which can divert blood away from the working muscles," she says. Also, be sure to eat various bars during training to find one that agrees with you; trying one for the first time during a race could lead to trips to the porta-potty instead of the finish line.
Dishing out plenty of fast-digesting sugars, gooey energy gels can be a viable option for those whose stomachs can't tolerate solid bars during exercise. But as with bars, consume plenty of liquids (six to 12 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes) along with the gel to satisfy hydration needs and encourage better digestion.
What We Like
PowerBar Performance Banana (powerbar.com)
230 calories, 44 grams carbs, 2.5 grams fat, 8 grams protein, 2 grams fiber
Odwalla Bar Strawberry Pomegranate (odwalla.com)
220 calories, 44 grams carbs, 3 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Clif Bar Nectar Cranberry Apricot & Almond (clifbar.com)
170 calories, 29 grams carbs, 6 grams fat, 3 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Recovery
Researchers have found that consuming a snack containing protein within an hour after a workout can significantly improve your muscles' ability to recover. Energy bars can provide a compact and portable supply of carbohydrates and protein–two macronutrients that help your muscles rebuild and refuel after sweating it out.
"Bars with 200 to 250 calories and roughly a three-to-one ratio of carbohydrates to protein will do the trick post-workout," says Gidus. She recommends looking for bars with soy or whey, two of the best sources of protein in bars.
What We Like
Vega Chocolate Flavor (myvega.com)
240 calories, 30 grams carbs, 10 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 6 grams fiber
Detour Runner Chocolate Chip Cookie (detourbar.com)
200 calories, 29 grams carbs, 3.5 grams fat, 12 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Hammer Bar Chocolate Chip (hammernutrition.com)
220 calories, 26 grams carbs, 9 grams fat, 9 grams protein, 5 grams fiber
Genisoy Crispy Chocolate Mint (genisoy.com)
240 calories, 37 grams carbs, 4.5 grams fat, 14 grams protein, 2 grams fiber
Snack Attack
Chosen carefully, an energy bar can be a nutritious snack in a pinch and a much better option than raiding the vending machine. But Clark warns, "The calorie content needs to equal that of a snack, not a meal." She adds that a bar intended for snack purposes should contain 100 to 180 calories with some protein and fiber. "These two ingredients are satiating, which will help get you by until your next meal."
Rack up more fiber, not to mention vitamins and minerals, by choosing a snack bar with fewer refined sugars and more natural carbohydrate sources such as dried fruit and oats. And look for bars with mostly healthy unsaturated fat sources such as nuts, seeds and nut butters. Be wary of chocolate and faux "yogurt" coatings that can contain highly saturated palm kernel and partially hydrogenated (trans fat) oils, which are notoriously bad for your heart and health.
What We Like
Gnu Bar Banana Walnut (gnufoods.com)
130 calories, 30 grams carbs, 3 grams fat, 3 grams protein, 12 grams fiber
Luna Chocolate Pecan Pie (lunabar.com)
180 calories, 25 grams carbs, 5 grams fat, 10 grams protein, 3 grams fiber
LaraBar Apple Pie (larabar.com)
180 calories, 23 grams carbs, 10 grams fat, 4 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Meal-on-the-run
An energy bar should never replace a healthy, well-balanced meal made from whole foods. But if you're stuck at the office or in a traffic jam, a properly designed meal replacement bar is a better option than fast food or other quick-fix meals.
"Look for a balance of carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber with added vitamins and minerals," says Clark. For a meal, you need more calories than a snack bar, so choose one with at least 300. But your meal-in-a-wrapper shouldn't be weighed down by large amounts of refined sugars and saturated fats. Look for dried fruits, whole grains and nuts. "For a more balanced meal, try complementing these bars with other on-the-run foods like fruit and yogurt," says Gidus.
What We Like
ProBar Superfood Slam (theprobar.com)
350 calories, 46 grams carbs, 17 grams fat, 9 grams protein, 6 grams fiber
Organic Food Bar Active Greens Chocolate (organicfoodbar.com)
310 calories, 35 grams carbs, 14 grams fat, 12 grams protein, 7 grams fiber
Tri-O-Plex Very Berry (trioplex.com)
390 calories, 45 grams carbs, 8 grams fat, 30 grams protein, 4 grams fiber
Women-Specific Bars
Bars marketed with an XX chromosome audience in mind are usually lower in calories, smaller in portion and often include nutrients women are commonly deficient in–iron, vitamin D or calcium. But are they more beneficial for you than other bars? That depends on your diet. Eat a well-balanced, whole-food diet and there's no reason to choose these bars over others. But if your nutrition is coming up short on a particularly hectic day, then the extra nutrients certainly can't hurt.
What We Like
Luna Sunrise Vanilla Almond (lunabar.com)
180 calories, 29 grams carbs, 4.5 grams fat, 8 grams protein, 5 grams fiber
Oh Mama! Chocolate Peanut Butter (ohmamabar.com)
190 calories, 26 grams carbs, 6 grams fat, 9 grams protein, 3 grams fiber
