Energy Bars

Have you ever gone for a long run or been in a race and wished that you had an extra boost of energy? Do you stop and think about what exactly is in an energy bar? How your body uses them? Or the biggie: When am I supposed to eat an energy bar? Well, the answers to all of your questions and more are below, so keep reading to find out what energy bars can do for you!

Energy Bars: What exactly is in an energy bar?
An energy bar is a mixture of fruits, grains and other energy-packed, natural ingredients that are high in carbohydrates. The main reason people eat energy bars is because they are a source of carbohydrates that your body uses for fuel while you are running. Energy bars on the market today can be divided into two main groups: There are brands high in carbohydrates, low in proteins and fats. And then there are the brands that contain a more balanced mix of proteins, carbos and fats. Your body takes in the carbos and stores them to be used while you are running and supplies the right amount to keep you going until the end of your race or training run.

When do I need them? What should I do after I eat an energy bar?
An energy bar is great almost anytime, you can eat them before a hard race, before or during a training run and even during a long race, such as a 10k or longer. Energy bars are easy to bring along with you and will not melt if they are exposed to heat all day. For best results eat an energy bar 30-45 minutes before a race or workout or eat small amounts during your race or run. It is very important to remember to drink 12-16 ounces of water during and after consumption of the bar. Otherwise, it will feel like you have a bowling ball sitting in the bottom of your stomach and that is going to make it very difficult to run!
Which bar is best?
We have just thrown a lot of information at you about energy bars, so you are probably wondering what to make of all of this hype, right? We have created a table below outlining the contents of the various bars available and also links leading to more specific information about a certain brand.

PRODUCTFLAVORSCaloriesCarbosProteinFatSodium
Boulder BarOriginal21040g8g3g60mg
Clif BarChocolate Espresso, Chocolate, Chocolate Chip, Apple Cherry, Apricot, Real berry, Peanut Butter Crunch25051g4g2g45mg
Extreme BarVanilla Crunch, Oatmeal Raisin, Apple-Cinnamon, Chip & Cherry, Brownie Crunch, Cookie Dough23044g7g3g65mg
PowerBarChocolate, Malt-Nut, Wild Berry, Apple Cinnamon, Banana, Mocha23045g10g2.5g90mg
Thunder barChocolate, Tropical23044g10g1g20mg


We are conducting an Energy Bar poll to see which flavors and which energy bars people prefer. Please take a few minutes and fill out our poll. It will help us add to this section by including the favorite brand and flavor of high school runners.

Let me see the results of the energy bar poll!


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Copyright Runner's Oasis, 1996.
Last updated: 8/15/1996