The world of protein bars can be really tough to navigate. Determining what to look for in a protein bar takes a lot of experience and attention to detail. But as an endurance athlete, finding ways to facilitate balanced nutrition is vital to your performance. By providing your body with the right nutrients, you will provide fuel for your long workouts and you will shorten your recovery time. This ultimately allows your body to operate in a more efficient manner. But that nutritional balance can take some time to figure out. While navigating the world of protein bars, consider the following qualities before you make your final selections.
If you’re an endurance athlete, your nutrition needs are a little bit different from the standard persons’. Since you rely on your slow-twitch muscles for extended periods of time, your body needs a consistent supply of carbohydrates to fuel your workouts. This means that exercising for more than 45 minutes at a time requires extra carbs. Additionally, protein aids in the recovery process and boosts your power. Due to this, it’s extremely important for endurance athletes to find nutritional products that support each athletic endeavor. The best protein bars combine carbs and protein in order to give endurance athletes the nutritional elements they deplete on a daily basis. Keep your eyes peeled for the following qualities while you’re on the hunt for protein bars.
Organic Ingredients
Finding protein bars that feature organic ingredients is a great way to start your search for the perfect option. Organic protein options don’t include the harm caused by products that non-organic companies often include. But they are also made out of vegan ingredients, which makes them lean and plant-based. Generally, companies that prioritize organic ingredients also take careful attention to nutritional content, too. This means that you will avoid harmful pesticides while consuming organic products, but you will probably also find an option with whole, nutritional ingredients.
Nutritional Density
Endurance athletes burn a lot of calories. Tackling long runs or bike rides can burn thousands of calories, which makes replacing those stores extremely important. While you are on the hunt for nutritionally dense protein bars, consider looking for options with a lot of carbs and a lot of protein. Carbs will help to sustain you for your long, athletic endeavors. And proteins will help your body to repair itself. While searching for the perfect protein bar, most endurance athletes air on a calorically dense spectrum, choosing an option that will replenish energy stores. Be sure to keep your eyes out for supportive ingredients like plant-based proteins and carbohydrates for the best results.
Protein Options Specific to Your Diet
There are lots of vegan protein bar options on the market. As interest in nutrition and athletics grows, nutrition products are becoming more competitive, which gives the athlete lots of options to choose from. If you are interested in maintaining a paleo or grain free diet, plenty of companies create options that will work for you. But it’s important to find balance in your nutritional profile, so be sure to incorporate complete proteins into your diet.
Additionally, if your diet is particularly restricted, consider learning how to make your own protein bars. It can actually be relatively easy and simple to create balanced and delicious protein bars to meet your needs. I, personally, love oatmeal and chocolate chip protein bars. But you can also put your favorite ingredients in each batch — add powerful superfoods like chia seeds or a bit of matcha powder for an energetic boost. It’s not as difficult to customize your protein bar options when you’re making them yourself!
What Not to Include in Your Protein Bars:
Fillers and Additives
While fillers and additives might make consuming protein bars into a more pleasurable experience, they can actually be destructive to the human body. Artificial sweeteners can look like “sucralose,” or “acesulfame potassium” on the ingredient label. Try to avoid products that include those descriptors.
Protein builds and repairs muscles, so it’s an important element to anyone who’s in training. But endurance athletes have even more specific nutritional needs. While you’re on the hunt for a balanced nutritional profile, be sure to take a hard look at the ingredient label to make sure that your body gets everything it needs.
For More Inspiration:
