The slap in the face sizzled in Allen Lim's pan. Some rice, eggs, bacon, and the big attack on Powerbar and co. was ready. The American nutritionist put together his own energy bombs during the 2009 Tour de France: without sugar or chemicals. That meant no bars or gels. Lim simply spiced up his mother's rice cake recipe and wanted to prove that a cycling team could complete the Tour of France with natural foods.
Bars with different compositions
Rice cakes, energy bars, bananas or bread rolls - fuel for cyclists takes on a wide variety of forms. Bars that are quick, easy and easy to transport have become an integral part of cyclists' jersey pockets. The almost unmanageable range of energy bars is becoming increasingly confusing. When reaching for the supermarket shelf, however, you should make sure that the bar is suitable for the respective area of use. Basically, the bars differ in the composition of the protein and carbohydrate content. Recovery bars contain more protein, while performance bars are full of carbohydrates, ideally in a balanced ratio of short-, medium- and long-chain structures. The reason for this lies in the even supply of energy. A bar that only relies on short-chain carbohydrates will quickly fizzle out during an agonising climb. At least 60 per cent of the energy should come from carbohydrates, a maximum of 20 per cent from fat and up to 30 per cent from protein.
Fill up the tank please!
At high intensity, cyclists should consume up to 80 grams of carbohydrates per hour. This is relatively easy to achieve with sports bars: the sweet pieces contain up to 75 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. A 100 gram banana provides around 20 grams of carbohydrates. Dried bananas, on the other hand, polish up the balance with around 80 grams. Nevertheless, bars are practical, have a long shelf life and cause less stomach discomfort.
Criticism of bars from a professional
Top coaches such as Doug Katona, who looks after several Tour de France pros, are ambivalent about energy bars. "Bars don't make sense, especially during less intensive sessions. The constant ups and downs in blood sugar levels are unnecessarily stressful. And once you've started eating bars, you have to keep eating because your performance plummets when your blood sugar level drops." Katona advises eating more fruit or dried meat as an alternative. "The best fuel our body has to offer is our fat. Why should I slow down my fat metabolism every time I eat a bar?" explains the American, who generally advises athletes to eat a low-carb and sugar-free diet. "Carbohydrates are found in fruit and vegetables, so I don't need to eat pasta. It's better to eat a little more fat and fish, which keeps the metabolism running at full speed."
Conclusion on the test of the bars
For the most part, the tested bars fulfilled their purpose. They are designed to provide quick and long-lasting energy. However, if you're going to eat the welded energy bombs, you should make sure you test them before a race. By the way: as a snack between meals, these energy boosters make you fat instead of fit.
You will find these 20 energy bars in the test:
- Born Xtra Bar
- Corny Milk Classic
- Dextro Energy Carbohydrate Bar
- Energy System Perform-Bar
- Enervit Power Sport
- High5 Energy Bar
- Isostar High Energy Sport Bar
- Molat Molino Energy Bar
- Mulebar
- Multipower Multicarbo
- Nutrisun Sirius
- Nutrixxion Energy Bar
- Powerbar Energise
- Seitenbacher Energiser
- Snickers
- Sponser High Energy
- Squeezy Energy Bar
- Ultrasports Ultra Bar
- Weider Body Shaper Energy
- Xenofit Carbohydrate Bar
You can find the test results of these 20 energy bars in the free PDF download below.
Interesting facts about energy bars
Field of application
Take a close look when buying bars: endurance bars are for rides, recovery bars for recovery afterwards.
Testing
Those who cannot tolerate bar ingredients struggle with stomach cramps. Annoying during a marathon. Therefore, test beforehand when cycling.
No replacement
Bars are not a snack - especially if you are not exercising. The carbohydrates promote fat storage.
Alternatives
It doesn't always have to be a bar: rice cakes, egg waffles, bananas, bread rolls with honey or dried fruit are all good options.
