Ideal for athletes and very nutritious, energy bars provide a lot of energy and are beneficial for certain physical exercises.
They are known as energy bars (in fact, this is their precise name by which you can find them in specialized stores), and they can be purchased more and more places. In fact, they are delicious and tremendously nutritious.
Currently there are a wide variety of bars for all tastes and flavors: with or without nuts, with cereals or not, and even with flavors of chocolate, orange, yogurt, pineapple, lemon…
But are energy bars really healthy and good for you? For what people exactly are they recommended? How many could be eaten a day?
Do you know what energy bars are? And what do they consist of?
It is quite likely that you have already seen them in the odd supermarket or store. In fact, it’s quite possible that you’ve even tried them already. All of them, what’s more, we know them and it is true that they are tremendously delicious.
They consist of a very nutritious food supplement, which naturally helps to provide a series of nutrients to the diet, as well as energy. They are, so to speak, a nutritional option to meet certain needs in a timely manner, since they are precisely characterized by being quite energetic and therefore caloric.
They are usually made from cereals and nuts. For example, they can be made using a specific group of cereals such as muesli, or also with oats, shreds, corn and rice. In addition, they can contain dried or dried fruits or also chocolate.
Of course, depending on the purpose for which it is going to be consumed, its nutrient content will be different. Thus, for example, we can find the popular protein bars, which, as their name suggests, are bars that provide a very high amount of protein. The most common is that they contain between 5 to 25% protein.
We can also mention the hydrocarbon bars. In these cases, its carbohydrate contribution can reach 50% (although its content may be higher depending on the brand).
Nutritional values and benefits of energy bars
The energy bars are foods that should not be confused with the already equally typical bars of nuts or cereals.
They tend to be rich in carbohydrates (not in vain, they have between 65 and 80% of the product itself), and have a high protein content (between 5 and 15%), and also offer a good calorie intake (between 300 and 500 calories depending on the type of energy bar chosen).
They are also usually enriched with vitamins and minerals, highlighting -for example- vitamin C, E and vitamins of group B, in addition to phosphorus, magnesium, zinc and folic acid.
As you may have already imagined, they are those vitamins and minerals that are involved in the processes of obtaining energy and in the proper use of nutrients.
They are also low in fat, and are highly digestible, so their consumption does not give a feeling of heaviness.
For which people are energy bars suitable?
Given its high content of carbohydrates, proteins and calories, and being also enriched in vitamins and minerals, it is a product designed for all those who practice sports.
This means that they help to increase energy during exercise (being ideal in endurance sports), and they also help the body to recover after practicing sports.
In addition, currently you can find energy bars specially made for before, during and after exercise, depending on their composition. So, we can establish a recommendation depending on the type of bar:
- Who are the hydrocarbon bars recommended to ? Due to their high content of this macronutrient, they are ideal for physical exercise and intense sports in which aerobic exercise is essential, such as cycling, tennis, marathons or hiking.
- Who are protein bars recommended for? Because of their protein content, they are bars recommended especially in strength sports, so they are ideal for anaerobic exercises, such as bodybuilding and gymnastics.
