Protein bars: what are they for and are they worth buying?

Author: Purik Kirill - manager of the sports nutrition store Atletic-Food.
2014-05-11

If you are involved in sports, especially strength training, you have probably heard of protein bars at least once. And those who regularly consume sports supplements may have even tried them. In this article, I want to tell you about protein bars, and the first thing you should remember is that their name doesn't always reflect the reality.

The thing is that the category of supplements called "Protein Bars" is a general collective name for all bars in sports nutrition. It's just that people who are not very well versed in dietary supplements for athletes easily remember the word "Protein." Sometimes it even seems that the entire sports supplement industry consists solely of protein (protein).

Main types of bars:

• Grain. They are consumed for weight loss.
• Low-calorie with L-carnitine. Also suitable for those who want to lose weight.
• High-protein. High-protein bars are mainly for gaining lean mass or during cutting. Sometimes this type of bar is consumed on a low-carb diet for weight loss.
• High-carb. Taken for mass gain. Typically, there are at least 400 calories in 100 grams. The ratio of protein to carbohydrates is 1 to 3, sometimes 1 to 4. That means there are no less than 50 grams of carbohydrates.

Of course, there are other types of bars, for example, grain-fruit or oatmeal bars. But they are less popular.

So, our main question is: can the intake of standard powdered carbohydrate or protein mixes (protein or gainer) be replaced with bars?

Firstly, in any bar, there are at least 20% carbohydrates per 100%, even if you buy this supplement with L-carnitine. Carbohydrates create the chewy base and flavor.

Secondly, practically all bars have over 100 calories per 100 grams. In high-carb bars, the calorie content can reach up to 500. Naturally, digesting that many calories will be quite problematic for the stomach.

Thirdly, there are no bars without sugar and fat; there are only those with low content. The minimum sugar in popular bars like Quest Bar is only 1 gram. But many buyers of this product say: “1 gram of sugar – the manufacturer meant sugar substitute.” I don't even know where such a rumor came from. Sugar – in English means sugar. And the substitute for this substance is Sucralose, which has zero calories.

Fourthly, the price of even the smallest bar weighing 30-40 grams will be around 50 rubles. This is equivalent to a "Snickers," which weighs 100 grams and has roughly identical components. I recommend you personally compare "Snickers" with some bar where the composition of protein and carbohydrates is 1/3. If you buy a bar weighing the same as "Snickers" at 100 grams and with a protein content above 40%, it will cost 150 – 170 rubles. That’s quite expensive. At the same time, I'm talking about the average price on the internet. In fitness clubs, the price is 20-30% higher.

You should also know that the maximum amount of protein in 100 grams can reach up to 60. Generally, the higher the protein concentration, the worse the taste quality of the bar.

Conclusions

1. A protein bar is not always "protein-rich."

2. The price is very high. If you take an average bar with 30 grams of protein in the composition, it typically costs 70 rubles. Compare it to powdered protein. If you consume an average of 50 servings of 30-gram protein per month, it will cost no more than 2000 rubles. A similar amount of bars will already cost around 3500 rubles. That's almost twice as expensive!

3. At the same time, whey protein powder can be selected with minimal calories, carbohydrates, and fats. As mentioned earlier, bars contain a lot of these components.