Get Stoked: The latest in energy bars and gels

AMC Outdoors, June 2003

By Michael Lanza

Whoever made the first pemmican was more than two centuries ahead of the market. Composed of meat paste, fat, berries, and dried fruit, pemmican bars were a staple of the Lewis and Clark expedition and munched by Native Americans for who knows how long before that. But it wasn't until 1986, when PowerBar first hit stores, that Americans really sank their spending power into the notion of dense food bars. Today, you can buy numerous brands of modern-day pemmican, energy bars, and gels, almost anyplace that sells snack foods. By some estimates, the market could soon top $100 million.

If you gnawed on the first generation of bars, or recoiled at the idea of squeezing a tube of something called "GU" into your mouth, you might wonder how they could become so popular. I did at first. But having now tried many of these products, I've become a believer. There's nothing more convenient and packed with energy for their volume, invaluable qualities when you don't want to stop for very long in the backcountry, whether on a long climb or hike or on a cold winter day. They don't crush, melt, or easily freeze, and many of them now taste surprisingly good.

Energy bars and gels high in calories — and complex carbohydrates, a.k.a. maltodextrin — are best for providing quick, sustained energy during activity. Post-activity, bars high in fat and protein are preferred for rebuilding muscles. Potassium and sodium, both lost through perspiration, are found in various amounts in bars. Always drink at least several ounces of water with a bar or gel packet to aid digestion of these concentrated foods or you may feel it sitting in your gut like a golf ball. Avoid drinking supplements (like Gatorade) with energy bars containing high-fructose corn syrup; the seemingly high-powered combo can backfire, killing your appetite and even inducing nausea, which won't help your athletic performance.

The ingredients can vary greatly among brands and flavors, although many contain some source of protein (often soy) and of fiber (rolled oats, rice), and flour. Manufacturers of energy bars and gels recommend one bar or one gel packet about 15 minutes before and after exercise, and one every 30 to 45 minutes during exercise. Nutrition experts suggest no more than two to four per day for a moderate level of activity, supplementing a diet consisting largely of whole foods, whose complex blends of vitamins and nutrients cannot be duplicated in processed foods.

I've divided energy bars and gels into categories below to distinguish among different types and brands. Taste is a personal matter-I leave that up to you. All are available at grocery stores and many can be purchased on the Web.

Carbohydrate-rich bars
Think of these as true "energy bars" in the sense that they're packed with calories and carbs and intended to provide a big boost when you most need it. I generally only consume these on outings of two hours or more, like a long hike, climb, or ski. These tend to be more filling, denser, and chewier than the other types described below. They'll digest more smoothly if you eat them in bits over a half hour or so, and, of course, drink water while eating them. While all are high in carbs and generally low in fat, they vary among brands and flavors in protein, sodium, and potassium.

These include:

• Clif Bar: 250 calories, 44 grams of carbs, 5 grams of fat, 110 mg of sodium, 220 mg of potassium, and 10 grams of protein; www.clifbar.com.
  
  
• Odwalla Bar: 220-260 calories, 31-47 grams of carbs, 2.5-7 grams of fat, 30-190 mg of sodium, and 4-16 grams of protein; www.odwalla.com.
  
  
• PEAK Bar: "Energy Packed" has 244-314 calories, 54-62 grams of carbs, 200 mg of sodium, and 213 mg of potassium; "Protein Packed" has 160-190 calories, 25 grams of carbs, and 10-12 grams of protein; www.peakbar.com.
  
  
• PowerBar: 220-240 calories, 45 grams of carbs, 2-3.5 grams of fat, and 100-120 mg of sodium, about 10 grams of protein, and about 110 mg of potassium. Protein Plus bars have 26-30 grams of carbs and 14-15 grams of protein; www.powerbar.com.

'Lighter' energy bars
People who find the above bars too filling or difficult to digest, or who just don't think they need all those calories because of a lower activity level or age-related slower metabolism, may prefer these. The three brands mentioned here also taste sweeter than the brands in the above category.

They are:

All-natural bars
These energy bars set themselves apart from the others for their natural ingredients; otherwise, they'd fall into one of the above categories. These will be preferred by people who want to avoid an ingredients list containing too many words they can't pronounce.

Meal bars
Given the euphemistic description of "meal bars" by the industry because of their 40-30-30 ratio of carbs to fat to protein, these lower-calorie bars are intended more as healthy snacks than as significant sources of energy for sustained physical activity. When you won't have the opportunity to grab a banana or bagel after a run or gym workout, you might want to keep one of these in a pocket to tide you over until your next meal.

Gels
The energy source of choice for times when you can't stomach a heavy bar, or need the convenience of being able to squeeze "food" into your mouth in a few seconds, like on a long run or bike ride, particularly in races.

The following, all widely available, differ very little in calories (100-112 per packet), carbs (24-28 grams), or sodium and potassium (35-50 mg), have no protein, and only Clif Shots have a trace of fat.

The only real difference is that some flavors (one Honey Stinger flavor, and all but one GU flavor) contain amounts of caffeine equal to one-fifth to one-third of a cup of coffee — more important to some than all the carbs or protein in the world.

—Michael Lanza is author of The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Travel, from AMC Books.