Energy bars are something I get asked about all the time, especially by athletes. Which one is best? Will they help me lose (or gain) weight? Do they really give you energy? Should I eat one after my workout?
When you’re facing a wall of them at the market, it can be more than a little intimidating. I’ve spent well over 30 minutes with athletes at the store comparing and contrasting bars to determine which one is truly right for them. So, I decided to devote my next two posts to some FAQs:
Q: Do energy bars give you energy?
A: Another word for energy is calories. Energy bars provide calories, but there’s no criteria or ingredients that specifically make a bar an “energy” bar. When most people hear the word energy, the first thing that comes to mind is a stimulant, like caffeine. In general, energy bars don’t work that way. Some may be high in caffeine (like a bar that contains espresso beans or green tea) but some contain absolutely no caffeine and zero stimulants. In short, they aren’t called energy bars for that reason.
Q: Will a bar help me lose weight?
A: Not necessarily. There are no magical ingredients in energy bars that boost the number of calories your body burns or help melt away fat. But, if someone traded in their usual 600 calorie mid-afternoon smoothie for a 200 calorie bar, the calorie savings would result in weight loss. In other words, the only way an energy bar can help you lose weight is if it helps you save calories. Another case in point: swapping an everything bagel with cream cheese for a 250 calorie bar at breakfast would save over 300 calories (doing that even twice a week can help you lose about 9 pounds in a year).
Q: Will a bar help me gain weight?
A: Possibly, but it might not be muscle. The only way to gain muscle is to consume more calories than your body burns (that’s called a positive calorie balance). If that’s the case AND your body is in a post-training “recovery” state, AND there is an adequate amount of protein available to heal muscle tissue, you will gain muscle mass (remember, all three conditions have to me met). If you have surplus calories, including protein, but you’re not in recovery mode, you’ll store the excess calories (yup, including protein) as body fat. Or, if you have a high protein intake and you’re in recover mode but your total calories aren’t high enough, you’ll burn that protein for fuel rather than using it to build muscle-that’s because fuel is always the body’s highest priority. Some energy bars are high in calories and contain a lot of protein, so consuming one after a tough training session can be a great way to ensure that the trio of conditions is met to help you gain the right kind of weight.
Q: Are there any cons to an energy bar?
A: Yes. I’ve already talked about one of them: if you add them to your diet and can’t or don’t burn off the calories they provide, you will gain body fat. Also, the ingredients in energy bars run the gamut from extremely healthy and “whole” (like almonds and figs) to science experiment scary. Some bars are high in added sugars and saturated fat and nutritionally speaking, are nothing more than expensive candy bars. Others are condensed versions of whole, healthful foods like whole grains, nuts, and fruit. That’s why reading both the Nutrition Facts panel AND ingredient list is critical. Finally, energy bars are notorious for containing 6 of the top 8 allergens: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts (such as almonds, cashews, walnuts), soy, and wheat, and some contain fish-derived ingredients (another allergen). So if you suffer from any food allergies like I do, always check the ingredient list very carefully.
Stay tuned for part 2, including how to chose the right bar for you!