What are the advantages of power bars?

Power bars offer a great energy boost while exercising or is a great way to aid recovery straight after. While being on the move, it is often easier to eat a bar packed full of the ingredients that the body needs rather than prolonging the process and cooking a meal. This article details out the advantages of bars for nutrition.

The benefits of power bars

Power bars or energy bars provide a more convenient portable snack or meal replacement for people who normally enjoy a healthy diet. Weight lifters use protein packed bars to enhance muscle growth and recovery, and endurance athletes also use power gels as supplements before, during and after lengthy workouts in order to sustain and improve their performance. Different bars provide varying amounts of calories, fat, protein and sugar. This is why consumers should read the labels carefully before deciding which bar suits their personal dietary needs. Convenience People with a busy lifestyle often decide to eat energy bars instead of missing a meal. Energy bars offer an appropriate snack for a run or a cycle ride to avoid energy loss and fatigue. Since energy bars do not require any preparation, utensils or special refrigeration, they can be stored in gym bags or in a pocket to be used as a meal replacement. Control Athletes or fitness fans who are sticking to a calorie controlled diet, may find it hard to work out the daily nutritional values in everyday meals bought from a restaurant or shop. Since energy bars list all the ingredients and calories on the back, they allow consumers to select a bar which requires the desired amount of ingredients.
Energy bars used as snacks typically contain 100 to 180 calories, while bars used for meal replacements contain at least 300 calories. Performance enhancement Endurance athletes help to improve their performance by eating power bars at specified intervals. Eating a power bar with between 25 and 40 grams of carbohydrates and 100 to 200 calories an hour before a workout helps to build up energy reserves, leading to surges of energy when needed. The bar should have little fat, fiber or protein which can slow down digestion and cause abdominal distress. Within an hour after the workout, the athlete can enhance muscle recovery by eating a bar containing 200 to 250 calories with a 3 to 1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein.

Where to purchase

Healthy food shops offer different power bars, energy gels and supplements in stock. Moreover, most sports shops carry energy products from varying brands. It is advised that these bars should not be used to replace a healthy diet and a GP should be consulted before consuming any related products.