Department of Energy

Engineered energy foods are built to boost performance, but do they really blow PB&J out of the water?

By Heather Hansman

You’ve seen those people at the trailheads and starting lines. The ones whose pockets bulge with bars and goos that promise sustained energy and better performance. What are these far-from-nature foods good for? Do hikers and bikers really need them? More importantly, are these handy items any better than a homemade PB&J or coffee and a doughnut?

No matter what form they take—bar, gel, goop, block, beverage, or even unsuspecting jelly bean—energy foods contain three basic categories of ingredients that can help you perform better and longer: protein, carbohydrates, and additives. The key is finding a balance of the three that works for your body and for the length and intensity of your activity. Knowing what to look for and how each category translates from food to performance will give you a head start in planning your own nutritional needs.

You probably know that protein aids in muscle development and repair, but it also helps control the fluid balance in your muscles and keeps your immune system working properly. For endurance athletes, protein helps speed muscle rehab after all-day athletic endeavors and serves as a slow-burning fuel force. This one-two punch of repair and refuel makes protein a winning choice to satisfy long, slow-paced draws on energy stores. However, protein isn’t such a great source of quick energy—that’s where carbs come in.

Carbohydrates have long topped lists of dietary buzzwords, and recent fads have essentially labeled them as junk. But carbs equal power, and without them your body has nothing to burn to keep it going. Carbohydrates come in both complex (good) and simple (bad-boy) categories—think brown rice versus your morning doughnut—but foods designed specifically for sports tend to carry the complex variety. These kinds of carbs translate to energy that converts more slowly and provides a more consistent source of fuel that’s less likely to end with a post-buzz crash.

The third category of ingredients, additives, is what sets most engineered energy foods apart from a PB&J. Additives boost specific aspects of performance—caffeine promotes alertness, electrolyte salts help your body absorb fluids, iron helps dilate blood vessels and helps wounds heal more quickly. Though grape jelly offers an iota of good-for-you polyphenols, the performance benefits of Smucker’s don’t measure up to the energy-food dosages and tried-and-true results that these common performance-boosting ingredients can provide.

Not all additives translate directly, however, and there’s a long list of energy-food additives you might consume that won’t guarantee you’ll jump higher or run farther. Vitamin B12, for example, is a common addition to energy drinks and comes in dosages as high as 6,000 percent of the USDA’s Recommended Dietary Allowance. Though B12 is linked with decreased energy in folks that are nutritionally deficient, science hasn’t confirmed that über-doses translate into more energy for those who already meet the USDA’s nutritional guidelines. Will an energy drink shot of vitamin B12 hurt you? No. Will it help you run a faster mile? Maybe, maybe not.

Additives and ingredients are important, but the way you consume your energy food is also a factor affecting performance. Be it a bar, goo, or rainbow-colored beverage, each is designed with a different mix of carbs relative to protein, and other additives. Bars typically have the most even balance of carbohydrates and proteins, but some are packed with protein which can slow some athletes down. Gels and easy-chew blocks, both meant to be eaten while you’re riding a bicycle or on the go, are loaded with carbs and additives. GU gel, for example, is made up almost entirely of the quick-absorbing complex carbohydrate maltodextrin, and many flavors contain a blast of caffeine. While bars may take some time to digest and break down into usable energy, gels and blocks are designed to be absorbed quickly, so you can feel the pick-me-up right away. Drinks are both fast absorbing and serve double duty by preventing dehydration, but who wants to carry a bottle of Gatorade on a long run?

So what should you eat and when? What does your body need before, during, and after exercising? “Bloks are meant to be consumed during high intensity activity,” says Clif’s nutrition strategist, Tara Dellolacono-Thies. Bars, she says, are good for lower-intensity activities such as hiking, but “a bar is meant to be consumed two hours before an activity, or immediately after to replenish what you’ve used.” Dellolacono-Thies says that one of the reasons that energy-food companies make a wide range of products is to accommodate a wide range of activities and personal preferences. “Everybody is different,” she says. “It’s important to try energy foods while you’re training and find what works for you.”

Breakdown: Labels

Energy-food labels can read like checklists for lab experiments. Even though many brands are moving toward organic and whole-food ingredients, deciphering label lingo and picking out key ingredients can still be daunting for casual consumers. We pulled out some of the common ingredients in two different energy foods—PowerBar Performance Energy bar and Clif Shot Bloks—to compare the basics.

Carb

Both products contain organic brown rice syrup and a range of carbohydrates. While complex carbs metabolize slowly and supply sustained energy, simple carbs are absorbed more quickly, and mixing different types—maltose, fructose, and glucose—increases overall absorption rates.

Additive

The additives in these products have different agendas: PowerBar’s iron helps muscles store oxygen, which increases power potential for the long haul. Clif’s 50 mg dose of caffeine (equal to one shot of espresso) gives an immediate energy boost and stays true to the company’s whole-food agenda.

Protein

Protein is difficult to digest, and when you’re in the middle of a high-intensity workout, it can be a bigger burden than boost. Bars are meant to be eaten either several hours before or immediately after high-intensity workouts, when the protein can go to work repairing and oxygenating muscles.

C2 Max Carbohydrate Blend

Eating more carbs than your body can metabolize (about 60 grams per hour during exercise) can zap energy. But recent studies show that mixing carb types can increase absorption levels by as much as 55 percent. PowerBar claims it’s proprietary 2:1 blend of glucose and fructose maximizes absorption and helps you push harder and longer.

Ascorbic acid

The synthetic form of vitamin C is both a food preservative and performance enhancer that may help boost immunity. Studies claim it also helps your body absorb iron, speeds wound healing, and dilates blood vessels, which makes your heart pump more efficiently.

Riboflavin (vitamin B2)

Athletes tend to have lower levels of this B vitamin, but there isn’t any scientific evidence linking it to increased strength or endurance. Riboflavin helps your body break down carbs and absorb iron, so it’ll benefit you during a workout. You likely get plenty of riboflavin from regular food, however, so any added benefit from the energy-bar dose is debatable.

Nutrition Facts
Serving size 1 bar
Calories 230
Calories from fat 35

* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Amount/Serving % DV*
Total Fat 3.5g 5%
Sat Fat 0.5g 2%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 200mg 8%
Potassium 105mg 3%
Total Carb 45g 15%
Dietary Fiber 2g 8%
Sugars 25g
Protein 8g 16%
Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 70% • Calcium 25% • Iron 25% • Thiamin 15% • Riboflavin 10% • Vitamin B6

Ingredients

C2 Max Carbohydrate Blend (Organic Evaporated Cane Juice Syrup, Maltodextrin, Fructose, Dextrose), Oat Bran, Soy Protein Isolate, Rice Crisps (Milled Rice, Rice Bran, Rosemary Extract), Brown Rice Flour, Apple Powder, Canola Oil, And 2% Or Less Of: Natural Flavor, Vegetable Glycerin, Salt, Cinnamon, Nonfat Milk, Almond Butter, Peanut Flour. Minerals: Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Phosphate, Ferrous Fumarate (Iron). Vitamins: Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin B6 Hydrochloride, Riboflavin (Vitamin B2), Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1).

Contains Almond, Milk, Peanut And Soy Ingredients. Made On Equipment That Also Processes Wheat.

Organic brown rice syrup

Clif’s 70 percent organic certification means that the company sources organic and natural ingredients whenever possible. While Bloks are about 70 percent organic, the percentages range across the brand, from 32 percent for the Builder’s bar to 90 percent for the newest bar, the Clif C.

Green tea extract

Caffeine affects people differently, but it’s one of the safest and most effective performance enhancers out there. Green tea gives these Bloks a caffeine boost equivalent to one shot of espresso. The added benefit of the tea? It’s loaded with antioxidants, and studies suggest its nutrients work with caffeine to help you burn more fat.

Carnauba wax

This yellow-brown wax comes from a tropical tree and is dusted over Bloks to prevents them from sticking together.

Natural flavor

Bloks’ flavor profile comes from a wild array of ingredients—fruit, seeds, spices, even vegetables. A third party concocts the mix and keeps the chemistry details secret, so even Clif’s bigwigs don’t know exactly what makes them so very cherry.

Nutrition Facts:
Serving size – 3 Pieces (30g)
Servings Per Container 2
Calories 100
Calories from fat 0

* Percent Daily Values (DV) are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Amount/Serving % DV*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Sat Fat 0g 0%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 70mg 3%
Potassium 20mg 1%
Total Carb 24g 8%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Sugars 12g
Protein 0g

Ingredients: Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Evaporated Cane Juice, Organic Brown Rice Syrup Solids, Pectin, Citric Acid, Green Tea Extract, Colored With Black Carrot Juice Concentrate, Natural Flavor, Organic Sunflower Oil, Carnauba Wax. Vitamin A 0% • Vitamin C 0% • Calcium 0% • Iron 0%