I’m on the look out for the perfect running snack to sustain me through the long runs. I know that the sugar laden syrupy shots are very popular, but they make me gag and besides, refined carbs play havoc with my weight.
As a runner with a weight problem I struggle with the concept of sports drinks and nutrition, it absolutely galls me to replace all the calories that I’ve just struggled to sweat off with a sweet sports drink or jelly bean. If I attempt to run on water alone though I crash terribly after 10k.
I’m having a little bit of success with my weight loss at the moment by monitoring intake and expenditure with the ki-fit body monitoring gadget and dabbling with a slow carb diet. This basically means I’m restricting refined white carbs such as bread, rice, pasta and increasing the proportion of protein in my diet.
Any form of diet that balances protein and carb intake seems to work for me and as a result I’ve been dabbling with a huge array of snack bars that have a higher than typical protein content.
Don’t worry – I didn’t eat all these at once!
They aren’t particularly easy to get hold of and like anything that comes out of a health food shop they are shockingly expensive. The protein flapjack bar was an astounding £1.99
The Trek energy bars and Clif bar are my favourites. They have a very satisfying texture. Solid and chewy but not too difficult to manage between short gasps while on the run. They hold together pretty well too, and remain in one piece despite being crammed into a waistpack or rucksac and you can just break off pieces as you go. They work pretty well as emergency sustenance at work too, the protein content seems to extend the duration of satisfaction so you don’t get the high and slump associated with highly sugared snacks.
In the Great North run goodie bag there was a pack of Powerbar Ride Shots. They look pretty disgusting on the pack and remained in my drawer for months. Following my new protein craze though, I’ve been encouraged to retrieve them and I’ve used them on my last two running commutes and have found them to be ideal. They have a firm jelly consistency with a citrus centre. They stay in the mouth just a little too long for heavy breathing comfort but because they aren’t too sweet they can sit in your cheek to be savoured slowly.
I was sent some Nature Valley Granola bars to try out the other week. These aren’t protein enriched, having about 3g of protein per bar compared to approx 9g in the Clif and Trek bars, but I wanted to try them out as a possible running fuel.
Granola is very popular with ultra runners so it ought to be perfect for my more modest yet time consuming runs.
They are delicious but I find them just a little too crumbly for running with. When you start to break them up they fall to pieces and you end up trying to snaffle up individual oat flakes. They are best served at home, with a cup of tea and preferably with your feet up.
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Oh, I like those Nature Valley ones, would never consider running with them though, definitely need tea to wash them down!
I can’t do solids other then banana when I run…. I used the high5 Isogel last year which actualy is not a gel at all but a liquid! I don’t think it has manufactured sweetners in it so I find is ok on my tum!
“Powerbar Ride Shots. They look pretty disgusting on the pack and remained in my drawer for months.”
LOL! I thought exactly the same thing. Still uneaten. I think the expiry date is Feb 2011. Oh well, 1 month off isn’t too bad, will give them a go.
Those granola bars taste great, but I generally just have a banana for fuel before my workouts.
I used to eat those kind of protein bars you mentioned after my workouts to help me build muscle. The problem with them is that most of them contain sweeteners and after researching a lot about the potential damage they can do to your liver and kidneys, I’ve completely stopped taking them.
Likewise with protein shakes, I’ve now decided to switch over to unflavoured natural whey and mix it with with Nesquick which is actually free from artificial flavourings and sweetener. Since all of us here are keen on improving our health and fitness, I would recommend that you have a look at the scary facts about sweetener and consider switching over to natural products.
Running fuel is a minefield and incredibly personal, I would be interested to hear how you found the Powerbar Ride Shots.
I use a product called ‘Quick Energy’ before my runs. It’s an energy shot which only has 5 calories in it and no sugar content which means you don’t get an insulin spike like you do with regular energy drinks and subsequently no crash later in the day after taking it. I think the main source of energy comes from the Amino Acids and B-Vitamins found in the drink.
I’ve seen them in places like Holland and Barrett, petrol stations, waitrose etc. I find it really effective! Give it a go if you see it