A new trend has hit the fitness world. Fast and easy protein, soy and meal bars have pushed aside the days of protein shakes.
Bars are big business. Food manufactures have followed the trend by introducing meal bars, soy bars, energy bars and healthy snack bars. Power Bar, the company heavily responsible for thrusting nutrition and protein bars into mainstream America, has not only become a strong brand name, but also the generic catch phrase for bar foods and supplements.
Fred Himmelein, owner of Winding Way Farms nutrition store in Muncie, says there are three categories of Power Bars: energy bars, dietary bars and "taste good" bars.
Himmelein says the best use for power bars are people who exercise regularly and need high energy levels. The ideal targeted athletes are distance runners because they must sustain high levels of output for a measurable length of time.
Several types of energy bars are on the market, Himmelein said. The high-protein, low-carbohydrate bars can aid in temporary weight loss and energy bursts.
"The high protein, low-carb theory says carbs hold water and other things in the body," he said. "So it creates fat where there wouldn't necessarily be any. The high protein still gives plenty of energy. It helps the metabolism to burn off fat, and ultimately lose weight."
But Himmelein added that an overall nutritious diet program is key to long-term weight loss.
"But people who rely on power bars for weight loss are really fudging on the best bet. You have to eat less and exercise more. The bars can help you eat less, but you have to do more of the exercise," he said.
But people began eating power bars not just for more energy but as a substitute for meals.
"With the low-carb bars, people will eat them for lunch," Himmelein said. "Because they give you that energy so you don't fall asleep at the desk without bulking up."
Another type of energy bar that has become very popular is a soy-based bar. Soy bars are especially helpful for women because they contain a particular protein that is a source of estrogen, Himmelein said.
Himmelein said convenience and availability have made these energy bars popular.
"Power bars are very easy," he said. " People are comfortable with the idea, like eating a candy bar. They're easy to carry around, in your briefcase, backpack, or purse. Now they can be found anywhere, Wal-Mart, gas stations... And if you look hard enough you could probably find one in an old telephone booth."
Energy bars come in a variety of flavors, but the most common are peanut butter, chocolate or a combination of the two. But Himmelein says even though the bars are sweet, almost all of them are not true sugar.
"The secret effectiveness of the bars is that there's no sugar or a sugar substitute," he said.
Although energy bars are popular in mainstream America, many Ball State students haven't jumped on the bandwagon.
Sophomore swimmer DeeDee Wolverton tried Power Bars because she heard they could give her more energy. She even tried them a couple of times, but she just couldn't get past the taste.
"I didn't like the taste at all," she said. "So I had to down it with Gatorade."
Wolverton is skeptical if Power Bars really give a competitive advantage.
"It's hard to tell [if they gave her more energy] because there are so many nerves going through you. It's hard to tell what's natural and what's from the (Power Bars.)"
Junior Adam Pete said he used a Power Bar during Bike-a-thon when he biked about 20 miles. He tried Power Bars, but they were hard to swallow. He later tried the new energy gel from Power Bar and found it effective.
"I didn't like the bars because they were too dry," he said. "It was so much work to get it down. But the gel is really good because it's easy to down and you can feel it kick in a lot quicker, especially when you 're doing something, like Bike-a-thon, that takes so much out of you."
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