Have you ever wondered about protein bars? I mean, really given them thought. Not as in general recognition that they exist, but asked yourself whether you should eat them? Peel them open like chromatic bananas and take a big bite right after a workout? Perhaps you’ve checked their nutrition panels and pondered their protein content, asked yourself if they have too much sugar. Maybe, just maybe, you’ve eaten one. Did it feel like biting into a thick wedge of soft rubber? Or was it delicious? Should you eat them? What, exactly, is the deal with protein bars?
The key ingredient is, of course, the protein. Hence the name. Getting a mega dose of protein after a workout takes advantage of that rare window of opportunity that open for 30 minutes after a good workout during which your body absorbs protein much more efficiently than otherwise. Immediately after that workout your body is craving protein so as to begin rebuilding the muscles you’ve just shredded. Biting into a protein bar right after a good workout will do wonders for your muscle growth.
There’s another advantage to protein bars, and that’s in their utility. They don’t have to be cooked, prepared, stored, or anything. Prepackaged, you can simply toss them into your gym bag and eat them on the go. One of the main reasons people fail to fuel their bodies with the appropriate nutrients or stop at fast food joints to poison themselves is due to convenience; thus this element of their design is not to be overlooked or underestimated. The ability to eat a bar on the go or whenever you like without any prep time makes them even more advantageous than protein shakes or recovery drinks which require a kitchen, blender, ingredients. Not so with the protein bar—you just chow down whenever you get the urge, and keep on trucking.
But what do they taste like? No matter how beneficial or portable nobody is going to eat a protein bar if it has the consistency of cooled tarmac and tastes like chemicals and dust. That’s where you have to balance the sugar content against the protein value, which will directly affect your desire to eat the bar in the first place. Some bars have little protein and high sugar content. They’re like candy bars, and so of course you’ll want to scarf them down at all hours of the night. But is there any point? Then there are protein bars that have more protein than ten steaks but taste like a monkey’s uncle, and you spend half an hour chewing each bite. Moderation is the key, balance. Strive to find something that packs a good punch of protein (from 15 20g) and no more sugar than 30g. That combination will not only deliver the perfect balance of proteins and carbs but will also ensure that the bar tastes good. That way you will get your nutrition, make the most of that window of opportunity following a workout, and make the most of the protein bar’s portability and utility.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.healthandmedicalarticles.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites