Do Power Bars Benefit Treadmill Runners?

Power Bars: Trail Fuel or Cardio Candy?

The role diet plays in exercise performance cannot be understated. I well remember wrestling tournaments in high school where I and others would carry our coolers into the bleachers for honey and peanut butter sandwiches in between matches. Every 5K I’ve ever run and powerlifting meet in which I’ve lifted ends with celebratory fruit juice and…power bars. But do power bars help folks using a home treadmill for training? Of course they can, but the question will always hinge upon the “which kind” and the “how many.” If you’re serious about developing a weight loss plan for health reasons, I’d highly recommend working with a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) who can personalize your numbers. You might even consider reading some of their publications on standards of practice when it comes to exercise and fitness as it pertains to nutrition. But even if you’re just hitting the High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) like a champ, you’ll definitely need to replenish your body’s energy levels once you’re done. Or, if you’re like most in the professional world, you might grab a treadmill workout when you can, and running on an empty stomach isn’t a good idea. Whether pre-workout or post-, these power bars can certainly fill the gap as needed.

A study published in the journal Nutrients is just one of many which affirms the positive role sports nutrition bars can play in athletic performance, both in terms of carbohydrate oxidation rate and athletic performance. That study, like another published in the Journal of Human Kinetics focused on the difference between high- and low-glycemic index (GI) levels in the bars used during exercise. So the ingredients in the bars do matter, as does the intensity of exercise in question. There is a difference between these products and frankly some on the market are just glorified candy bars. So let the buyer beware.

Read below for a sample of the best-selling power bars on the market and our thoughts based on taste testing. Let’s face it, taste matters. There’s no point in getting something you don’t like, but everyone is different. What won’t differ person to person is the nutritional information, and you’ll find that too.

A Selection of the Best Power Bars

Overall Champ: Quest Cookies and Cream Protein Bars
Best Vegan Bars: GoMacro MacroBar Organic Vegan Protein Bars (Coconut/Almond Butter/Chocolate Chip)
Runner-Up Vegan Bars: TB12 Plant Based Protein Bars by Tom Brady
Best Grab ‘n Go: Gatorade Whey Protein Bars
Best Value: PowerBar Protein Plus Bar (Chocolate/Peanut Butter)

Overall Champ

There’s a reason Quest protein bars are so popular. They taste great and they’re filling enough to serve as a replacement meal. Here you’ll see the cookies and cream version.

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The box I ordered came in a pack of 12 bars, priced at $20.49. A 20-pack goes for $44. One 60-gram bar contains 21 grams of protein, 22 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat, and 13 grams of fiber. According to the ingredient label, the protein blend is derived from milk and whey protein isolate. Quest offers a whole lineup of sports nutritional products and if you like a softer bar, as opposed to the hard and crunchy granola type, you’ll probably like Quest. Textured and tasting like a candy bar, they can be a bit addictive, so if you’re looking to cut weight be careful with how many you eat. Each bar contains 190 calories.

Best Tasting Vegan Bars

If you’re looking for an Earth-friendly vegan bar, the GoMacro MacroBars are tough to beat. Soft and chewy, you’ll definitely like the taste. The ones I tried out were the coconut and almond butter with chocolate chips.

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The 12-count box I purchased cost $25.52, which each bar weighing 65 grams. The 280-calorie bar contains 11 grams of protein, 36 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat, and 3 grams of fiber. Per the ingredient label, the organic protein blend contains sprouted brown rice and pea protein. Certified USDA Organic, gluten-free, the bars are non-GMO and vegan. Produced by a small, mother-daughter-owned company, the GoMacro MacroBars are very soft in texture and will appeal to those seeking a plant-based power bar with certified ingredients. A little lighter on the protein than the non-vegan bars, it’s a matter of choice there, but in terms of the taffy-like texture, you won’t sacrifice on taste.

Runner-Up Vegan Bars

The TB12 Plant Based Protein Bars by NFL quarterback Tom Brady bring another plant-based power to the table for those seeking intra-workout nutrition.

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Pricey for sure, the 12-pack of TB12 bars I ordered was $40 and I did factor that in here. A 56-gram bar brings 220 calories, 12 grams of protein, 27 grams of carbohydrates, 9 grams of fat, and 12 grams of fiber. But if you’re into nutritional purity, one look at the ingredient label will make you happy. Both dairy- and gluten-free, the bars are vegan. Ingredients are limited to cashews, dates, chicory root fiber, a protein blend of pea and almond powder, cacao powder and nibs, quinoa crisps, hemp seeds, natural flavors, and Himalayan pink salt. That’s it. Nothing artificial at all, really. The chocolate cacoa crunch bars I bought tasted as good as a brownie. I’ve noticed the plant-based protein bars do tend to have a little less protein per unit than those which use whey, but again, that’s a decision-point for some people.

Best for Grab ‘n Go

Famous for its sports drinks, Gatorade has now introduced an entire lineup of power bars as well. Chocolate covered and chewy, they’re marketed with the athlete in mind.

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A 12-count box of the Gatorade bars retails for $19.98, making it one of the more affordable bars. A whopping 80 grams in size, the Gatorade bar is also one of the larger ones around. With 330 calories per bar, it brings 20 grams of protein, 43 grams of carbohydrates, 10 grams of fat, and 0 grams of fiber, yet 28 grams of sugars. Frankly, this is closer to a meal replacement bar in my mind. That said, it does taste good and is one of the most filling of the bunch due simply to size and number of carbohydrates and sugars. If you’re into really hard training and are depleting your glycogen stores, or if you had to skip lunch but still want to run a few miles on the treadmill, this Gatorade bar might be the best for you to grab ‘n go.

Best Value

Price does matter. The PowerBar ProteinPlus brand is easy on the wallet and yet still brings a quality product to the track. Tasty yes, but it doesn’t rival some of the others when it comes to that. But sometimes you’re just looking for something to stock up on and stick in your cooler.

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Priced at $20.63 for a box 15, as opposed to 12, these bars come in cheaper than the rest. A 60-gram bar carries 210 calories, with 20 grams of protein, 25 grams of carbohydrates, 6 grams fat, and 4 grams of fiber. Gluten-free, the rest of the ingredient list isn’t going to impress the vegan-friendly crowd at all, but then again, it’s not marketed as such. Taste-wise, it’s a little crunchier than the others and more like you’d think of a traditional power bar. If you’re looking for plain and simple at a lower price, this would be it.

Are Power Bars Worth It For Cardio?

I’m a firm believer in the “how” over “what.” Much like a hammer or any other tool, how you use it will matter more than what type you use. One look at the calories contained in these bars will tell you that yes, there can be too much of a good thing. You could easily chomp your way into a 2,000 calorie surplus with a box of these. But if you’re one of those folks who can’t always fit one of your four to five meals into the day, or perhaps you struggle to get in two, then power bars like this can certainly help. It’s difficult to give cardio workouts their due when you’re out of food fuel, meanwhile, being over-stuffed with a heavy meal is equally problematic. Properly used, these power bars can fill in the gaps before, after, or even during a run.