Running Times Guide to Energy Bars

Nutrition to Go

There once was a simple world with no energy bars; a world where runners nimbly sprinted through a KFC and pocketed a few honey packets. 

Our world has changed. It’s raining thick with energy bars, compressed meal replacements, packed food supplements and anvil-hard protein bars.

Just as there are many types of nutrition bars, there are many types of runners. We are a group made up of recreational runners, competitive runners and runners who just like to make up the crowd. Some of us can claim prize money on our IRS 1040—most of us will never have to worry about that. But one thing that we all have in common is our quest for good health. We are committed to a healthy lifestyle, and nutrition is a considerable piece of that picture.

The plethora of nutrition bars will only continue to grow. "For $50,000 or $100,000, you can be in the bar business," Brian Maxwell, president and CEO of PowerBar, Inc., told Food Processing magazine. In other words, anybody can fit their heads under the money spigot of snack foods and drink mightily from the $40 billion industry. Given the ever-increasing number of choices, we need the knowledge that will enable us to choose the products that best fit our lifestyle and how we run.

Turbo Charging

How well you run today will depend, in part, on what you ate after your last run. A runner’s body is a model of efficiency, storing energy inside the muscles that are going to use them. This energy, derived from carbohydrates, is known as glycogen. Muscles that are conditioned to run will naturally store increasing amounts of glycogen. Thus, high-octane legs come from repeated training and a diet rich in carbohydrates.

Muscle glycogen, depleted after running, is ready to be replenished as soon as the muscles are at rest. Eating carbohydrates within two hours restores glycogen the quickest, but the window of opportunity remains open for days. Complex carbohydrates work best to replenish muscle glycogen, possibly because they cause a steady release of insulin which is necessary to escort glucose across cell membranes.

Although most cells can store minute amounts of glycogen, the liver is the warehouse. The primary function of this supply is to maintain healthy blood sugar levels. This is important for distance runners, as maximum liver stores of glycogen will stave off the dreaded "bonk." The synthesis and degradation of glycogen are processes that go on continuously, and the liver uses dietary carbohydrates as they become available. That is why "eating on the run," literally, can help endurance athletes.

Reading the Label

Runners who want to take advantage of the convenience of energy bars should look for products made with a mix of dried fruits, whole grains and a soluble form of fiber. Total carbohydrates should be at least 40 grams.

Most energy bars include a very high quality protein, and 7-10 grams is sufficient to repair any micro injuries and build stronger muscles. Look for whey protein, made from milk and cheese, or soy protein if dairy products are a problem. Both sources provide "complete proteins," meaning all eight essential amino acids are present. Your body can make the nonessential amino acids, so don’t be duped into spending money on something like branched chain amino acids that you already have.