Fuel for Your Work-outs

Most of us who exercise regularly don't need a lot of extra "fuel" to keep us going if we are getting regular healthy meals and a couple small (about 100 calories) healthy snacks during the day. And that's because most of us exercise for less than an hour at a moderate rate of intensity. So for us, a bottle of water to sip on is about all we need.

You can't read about exercising, however, with out seeing ads for "energy bars" and you might wonder if this is something you need. So I thought I would do a little investigating to clear up this mystery for you:

Before hitting the gym or starting a long run, your body needs carbohydrates. It is best to avoid protein, fat, fiber and sugar alcohols, all of which can delay the emptying time of the stomach and slow digestion, causing cramps and sluggish energy levels. Energy bars are usually too high in protein, fat, fiber, and possibly sugar alcohols to be used for pre-exercise nourishment. Instead, try another carbohydrate-rich food.
During an brief aerobic workout, energy bars are not an a great refueling choice because aerobic and high-intensity exercises require blood flow to the muscles, not to the stomach for the digestion of foods. But after exercising for more than 60-90 minutes, you might want to consider a sports drink or sports gel to boost your energy levels, promote hydration, and balance electrolytes in the body.

Energy bars may work for low-intensity, very long-duration activities such as a long, slow hike or bike ride., or slow-speed marathon training (During lower-intensity exercise, less blood is diverted to the muscles.)

After your exercise session, your body needs mostly carbohydrates (to replenish glycogen stores in the muscles), some protein (to help repair damaged muscle tissue), and a little fat (for cellular repair). Eating a "real" and complete meal is your best bet. But if you cannot eat a meal within two hours working out, then an energy bar paired with a glass of water and a piece of fruit is a good option. Look for a meal replacement bar ( with at least 30 grams of carbohydrate, 10 grams (or more) of protein, and 5-10 gram of fat. (This information is courtesy of Sparkpeople.com)

I often tell my exercise partner, who favors Powerbars, that he might as well eat a Snickers - which would be my personal energy bar of choice.  So I looked for some comparison information which you might like to to read too:

Snickers vs Energy Bars

Lesson learned: as with an food choice, it is always best to read the label! Then you can make in informed decision.

Final recommendation from Sparkpeople on fueling your workouts:

Don't ever feel that you have to rely on energy bars to meet your calorie and nutritional needs. These snack ideas provide energy, nutrition and flavor in a convenient, budget-friendly package:

Fresh fruits: apples, oranges, pears, plums, grapes, bananas Individually packaged fruit and applesauce

Yogurt or string cheese

Whole grain crackers (plain or with cheese or peanut butter)

Bagels and muffins

Homemade trail mix

Granola bars
Carton of milk or juice

Graham crackers