Power Your Running

They may look and taste like candy, but energy bars can give your performance a boost

by: Jamie Kempton

According to Todd Williams, energy bars are as indispensable to a runner's success as a pair of track shoes.

"Treat them like part of your training equipment," advises Williams, a 1992 Olympian and once America's top 10,000-meter runner, with a best of 27:40.37. "Take them to practice, have one after a workout, or maybe before. When you pack to go to a race, put one in your bag with your racing flats or spikes." Williams's reliance on energy bars reflects a nationwide trend among runners and other athletes. Led by PowerBar, the original energy bar, there's currently a wide variety on the market, including GatorBar, PR Bar, EdgeBar and Performance Energy Bar (see chart). PowerBar alone sold 24 million bars in 1993.

Why have runners embraced bars so eagerly? They're convenient, easily digestible, low in fat, high in vitamins and minerals and, most importantly, chock-full of carbohydrates, the prime source of instant energy for working muscles.

"A sports bar is fuel for energy, stamina and endurance," says Nancy Clark, a sports dietitian in the Boston area and author of The New York City Marathon Cookbook. "It's like putting gas in your tank."

If you've eaten a light breakfast and lunch, fearing that a substantial meal might not digest fully before afternoon track practice, an energy bar can serve as a nutritious snack that tides you over till your postworkout meal.

"It's really light on the stomach. You don't even notice you have something in there," Williams says. "It has a lot of nutrients in it, and a lot of carbohydrates packed into one punch. It really does boost your energy before a workout or competition."

Digestion time varies with the individual. Williams likes to eat a PowerBar at noon for a three o'clock practice. If he has a morning race, he'll eat a bar when he rises at 6:00 or 6:30. But he's also devoured them as close as an hour before training, with no ill effects.

"Athletes should experiment in a practice setting to see what they can tolerate," says Craig Horswill, an exercise physiologist with the Gatorade Performance Series, which includes GatorBar. "You don't want to be doing it for the first time before an actual competition."
Experts recommend drinking plenty of water with the bar to aid digestion. Energy bars have a very low water content, which makes them more compact.

"You should drink at least 8 to 16 ounces of water with it," Clark suggests. "A sports bar is pretty dense. It will sit heavily without adequate fluid."

Some runners opt for a sports drink as their fluid of choice to accompany an energy bar. For instance, members of the women's track and cross-country teams at the University of Tennessee consume 6 to 8 ounces of a diluted sports drink with an energy bar immediately after intensive workouts such as interval sessions, as well as before and after competition.

The energy bars are "an ideal way to give them something quick and easy to digest, well before they have a full meal," says Ann Bertucci, the Tennessee women's cross-country coach and assistant track coach. "It helps their recovery from the workout and contributes to a better performance the next day."Bertucci advises her athletes to consume the bars no later than 15 minutes after completion of hard running. The reason: research shows that the sooner you replace the glycogen burned during a strenuous effort, the faster you'll recover.

"There seems to be a window of opportunity that lasts up to 30 minutes after exercise, when the body's rate of glycogen replenishment is enhanced," says Dave Bassett, associate professor of exercise physiology at the University of Tennessee. "There's evidence that taking in carbohydrates immediately after exercise will help store glycogen in the muscles more effectively."

Most energy bars contain between 200 and 300 calories and have a ratio of 70 to 80 percent carbohydrates, 10 to 20 percent protein and 0 to 10 percent fat. One exception is the PR Bar, which contains a 40-30-30 ratio and is designed to help the body burn stored fat.

Energy bars cost from $1.50 to $2 per bar and are cheaper if purchased in bulk. They're available through mail-order fitness catalogs and in running and fitness shops, health food centers and some sporting-goods outlets.

Most bars are chewy, some are crunchy, and, according to runners who rely on them, they taste pretty good. They come in chocolate and other flavors. Candy bars, by comparison, have more sugar and fat and are not considered a wise nutritional choice.