While a runner and his nutritionist wife conceived the first sports bar simply as a means to provide convenient energy during competition (a small market at the time), the demands of both the serious athlete and the weekend warrior have created a huge industry for these products based on functionality and taste. Long gone are the days of barely palatable, plastic-like pieces softened by body heat during competition to become something scarcely chewable. The trend now is toward a chocolate-enrobed, caramel-center-candy-like sports-nutrition bar, designed to deliver protein, carbohydrate, vitamins and amino acids to a wide-ranging consumer base.
The term “sports bar” can cover a variety of different areas, including the role of different supplements; the importance of carbohydrates, fats, flavor or protein; and the best bar for energy, muscle development or endurance. It’s hard to find bars targeted solely at sports, and determining if a benefit is fact from fiction is often difficult — if one individual decides on the benefits of a certain concept or mixture, it often becomes fact. Actual clinical trials, hard to find in the past, are now becoming the more responsible way to market a product. Collegiate, professional and Olympic athletic organizations have also become more active, providing better advice to athletes and discouraging the use of supplements that have not undergone thorough testing. Bars have specialized and differentiated into mainstream specific nutritional delivery, weight-loss, specific athletic focus or general lifestyle. Consumer awareness has peaked, so tastes and/or textures are in the forefront, and competition has spurred innovation. More than sportsSince most bars on the market are not sold strictly for the sports enthusiast, product divisions have started to overlap and blur. Many bars actually fit in more than one category, however these four can serve as a broad reference: Carbohydrate/energy and endurance. Carbohydrates are key here — either as high glycemic delivery for immediate energy, or in a slow delivery form for consistent energy delivery over a span of time. 40:30:30. In everyday terms, it means 40% of calories as carbohydrates, 30% as protein and 30% as fat. Several versions of this approach are now on the market, from the Zone™ approach, to use of this approximate distribution for weight maintenance under other plans. However, a recent study released by The Ohio State University, Columbus, disputes the assertion that energy bars with low or moderate levels of carbohydrates help dieters lose weight. The investigators, led by Steven Hertzler, Ph.D., R.D., assistant professor of medical dietetics in the school of allied medical professions, found these bars don’t reduce insulin levels in the blood as much as manufacturers might claim. A lower insulin spike reportedly helps dieters burn fat more effectively to help lose weight. The complete study can be found in the Medical Science Monitor, vol. 9, issue 2, pp. 84-90. When examining a bar’s nutrition label, keep in mind that the percentages of carbohydrates, protein and fat are stated as a percentage of calories, an important concept. Nutraceutical/gender- and disease-specific products. These may have some of the characteristics of the other groupings, but are targeted directly at certain markets, such as diabetics, women, supplement users, those who use organics and natural products, and kids. Quick energyMost bars in the carbohydrate/energy and endurance market are high-glycemic, quick and easy to digest. They are designed for runners, mountain bikers, triathletes, swimmers — anyone who might find themselves involved in competition where energy in a convenient form is key. The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) defines them as “a tailor-made, purpose-built energy bar designed to cater to the added demands of athletes on the run.” The AIS, located in Canberra, Australia, goes on to stipulate that, in general, these bars contain 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrate per bar, 2 to 3 grams of fat, less than 5 to 15 grams of protein, plus about half the daily requirements of vitamins and minerals. This category generally uses carbohydrate sources that deliver fast energy, such as corn syrups, rice syrups, fruit juices, dextrose and maltodextrins. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), which combines a relatively low-glycemic fructose with glucose as energy sources, is also commonly used. According to Jeff Billig, vice president, marketing, SPI Polyols, Inc., New Castle, DE: “Maltose is an energy source often over-looked. However, maltose, which is a disaccharide containing two glucose molecules, delivers an extremely high-glycemic response, providing a quick source of energy to the muscle. Maltose, since it is relatively low in molecular weight, can be easily used with higher-molecular-weight proteins to enhance the shelf life of the bar. Since maltose is only one-third the sweetness of sucrose, it can be used at any level without upsetting the flavor of the bar. Its low melt point makes it an ideal glaze and adherent for the outside of a bar or baked product.”
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