Energy bars - what's the point?
pottssteve
Posts: 4,069
My regular weekend ride is about 60km, covered at around 25km/hr, and I often go out with a colleague from work. He always takes an energy bar and gel with him. I tend to go far non-cycling specific snacks like muesli-style bars or crackers. Looking at a packet yesterday I notice that those rice crispy in chocolate bars have about 150 calories - about as much as many of the Isostar products and other bars, and they are cheaper.
Am I missing something, or is there a real advantage to energy bars for someone like me?
Steve
Am I missing something, or is there a real advantage to energy bars for someone like me?
Steve
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The exception of course is the cliff bar, choclote chip cookie bar because that tastes luuurvely and it's a great excuse to eat one!
- @ddraver
Carbohydrates are the fuel of life.
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+1 How did we ever cope years ago when we did the 80 - 100 mile club runs - Graeme Obree way 2 piece`s n jam and and a stop at a local shop for a quick 2 min can of coke & a mars bar plenty of rocket fuel to get you home for the gallop to the 30mph sign
Exactly,a Mars bar goes a long way to get you home..Although im not sure of drinking a Coke tho.
Fair point, though a lot of the bars are largely simple sugars like glucose and fructose, which are easy to digest and absorb.
I take comfort from the fact that I see the pros drinking it as well...
Agree 100% - flat Coke is excellent for fuelling and purchased wisely, dirt cheap. When coupled wth a swict double espresso/small bottle of Thai Red Bull, no one is gonna catch ya.
Good for re-hydration as well due to all the stuff in it.
- @ddraver
To the OP I'd say the main intended benefit of energy bars is: lots of easily digested carbs, low fat (easier to digest) in a convenient package. However lots of people take 'normal' foods that fulfil these criteria - banana, malt loaf, jaffa cakes, raisins, jelly babies, cereal bars such as Nutri-Grain or geobars. A top time triallist around these parts swears by Snickers for winter training rides, and I'd agree. However, if your mate likes his sports bar & gel then if it makes him happy who are we to argue?
In short, no. Your intensity levels are too low for them to have much of an effect other than to remove any hunger pangs.
Drinks or snacks that contain corn syrup, such as coke, are not a good idea unless you want to gain fat. Like alcohol, 30% of corn syrup automatically turns to fat, by-passing the energy burning process completely (in other words, no amount of exercise will burn these carbs off, they go straight to fat around the liver). A lot of 'sports' drinks have added corn syrup to make them palatable (ie. hide the taste of the electrolites). Also, highly processed sugary foods and drinks cause the production of more insulin, one of insulin's roles is to store fat.
Carbs, some simple, fast acting and some complex slow release are 'the fuel of life' as Ben6899 said.
You don't have to buy expensive sports specific foods and drinks but you do need to know what effect ingredients in any food have on your system in order to make informed choices.
Steve
I take your point - I had intended my last sentence to be slightly ironic. I still stand by the fact that I have seen them drinking the small cans during races and I can't believe it is all commercial interests. I've not seen anyone having a sneaky beer during the Amstel Gold :shock:
The corn syrup situation is very interesting - I had forgotten about that. However, and this isn't intended to sound dumb, but I have drunk more than my body weight in Coke in my life time so it must must disappear in some fashion.
Drinks or snacks that contain corn syrup, such as coke, are not a good idea unless you want to gain fat. [/quote]
The half a can of flat coke method is a "get me out of jail and get me home I'm bonking card", not a lifestyle choice, no ones advocating drinking it on everyride as a matter of course!
The sports bars are designed for sport - so a decent nutrition level, and easy to transport. Mars bars dont really work - especially in the summer. And even Minstrels 'melt in your mouth not in your hand' will melt in the back pocket.
You can make your own cheaper but its just wrapping them for long rides thats tricky.
I use a bento box to store my flapjacks etc in when I'm doing my long rides.
I eat them as daytime snack but not on a ride.
The above post may contain traces of sarcasm or/and bullsh*t.
I've certainly seen pros drink a small can of coke near the end of a race but I doubt very much they are drinking coke on every training ride they go on , good for a boost of energy I would have thought but not really a common part of the diet