generic powerbar

Looking at the ingredients in a powerbar, it is all generic, readily available and cheap stuff. I'm wondering whether it is possible to concoct something very similar in performance to these expensive energy bars that I fork out for.

Anyone got any suggestions?

are sports drinks any better than sugary soft drinks? I'm sure that there is some benefit in using these products, but I also suspect that these companies are cashing in on the sports products market and charging us disproportionately for what we're getting (and what it costs them).

 

Not bars, I know, but I've taken to using honey rather than gels. Goes down easily, cheap, and studies I've looked at have found no significant difference between honey & gels in terms of performance.

 

Oooops I just posted a similar question in another thread... there are plenty of things you can eat that will give you similar results, the problem is convienence and portability. Like the other poster said, honey works well instead of gel, but I never use gel... a carb sports drinks works for during exercise. I do use the honey in some unsweetened granola cereal for pre ride snacks or on bread with a touch of PB as well.... But I would really love to see a simple recipe for mixing and baking up some home power bars... I am sure someone out there has one they can share, please .

 

This link might be of interest. It explains the benifits of sports drinks, energy bars, power gels and recovery drinks and suggests some everyday alternatives to using these.

http://www.peakperformance.on.ca/sports/suppl.htm

It's worth a look, even to see why we spend all this money on sports nutrition.

James

 

Well, i googled and came up with these two to start off. Someone please try them and let us know! Apologues for the long post!

One is half way down this page: http://www.wta.org/~wta/cgi-bin/wtaweb.pl?3+kc+any


Another is here:
http://www.haroldthecat.net.nz/ben.run/2005/04/homemade-powerbar-recipe.html

The other recipe I just cut and paste:

Date: 1 Jun 1998 00:51:37 GMT

Bikewrkr <[email protected]> wrote:
>I'm getting sick of spending what seems to be all of my money on power bars,
>gels, etc.
>
>I know someone out there has their own secret sauce.

Here it is again - the Good Biscuit as tested and
raved about on rec.bicycles.tech.

Also, there is a clip in the FAQ at
http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq

I clipped this recipe about 3-4 years ago, from a
wreck.bikes newsgroup, and didn't make any of them.
The topic came up again recently, so I reposted the
recipe. And someone (please forgive me for not
remembering who) made them. And they came out well.
So then I felt really guilty, and I made some of my
own. And they came out well too. Non-cyclists at work
kept stopping by my desk to see if I had any more,
So here is the recipe. Please let me know how they turn out.

1-1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup wheat germ
0.5 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup corn, safflower, or light olive oil
1/4 cup molasses (or equivalent mix of molasses and honey)
(the honey mix is sweeter, I find all molasses a little bitter)

1/4 cup RAW sugar (not white refined sugar)
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel (California orange NOT Florida)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup orange juice (fresh JUICED from those California oranges)

1 cup chopped dried figs (or 1.5 cups total dried fruit)
1/2 cup golden raisins (I used 1 cup figs, 0.5 dry strawberries)

1/2 cup chopped almonds (or other nuts)

Combine flours, sugar, wheat, wheat germ, baking powder, cinnamon, and
salt. In smaller bowl, blend eggs, butter, honey, molasses, orange
peel, vanilla, and orange juice with wire whip. Add liquid to dry
ingredients; whip until smooth. Add figs, raisins, and almonds.

Spread in a greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F oven
for 35 minutes, until it tests done.

Makes about 24 bars.

 

Sure, lots of alternatives to expensive "power" bars. When I have homemade whole-wheat bread, I'll toast a couple of slices well, cut in half and put in a zip lock bag. Biscuits and pancakes from home are great this way also.

At all convenience stores here, you can buy the packets of cracker sandwiches stuffed with peanut butter or cheese for $0.30 each. About 200-240 calories of carbs, some fat and salt make them my favorite on the road snack. You can get them in bulk boxes from Costco, etc for less, but I like to buy from the roadside stops.

 

(food for thought)

page 22 Let's eat right to keep fit by Adelle Davis
A similar study at Harvard University by Dr Thorn and co-workers who determined blood sugar levels for six hours after meals high in carbohydrates.
A high-carbohydrate breakfast consisted of orange juice, bacon, toast, jelly, a packaged cereal and coffee, both with sugar and milk. The blood sugar rose rapidly but fell to an extremely low level, causing fatigue and inefficiency. A packaged cereal eaten only with whipping cream for the high-fat breakfast, after which the blood sugar inceased slightly, then remained at the fasting level throughout the morning.
The high protein meal consisted of skim milk, lean ground beef, and cottage cheese; the blood sugar rose to the high level of 120 milligrams and remained there throughout the entire following six hours.
To determine the effects of different types of food on energy production, metabolism tests were taken at frequent intervals. The metabolism, or energy production, increased only slightly after the meals high in fat or carbohydrate. After the high-protein meal, however , the metabolism rose more quickly than did the blood sugar and stayed high throughout the entire six hour study period.
p 23 sugar, cereals, hotcakes fruit, fruit juice quickly changes to sugar during digestion . in minutes blood sugar may increase from 80 to 155 milligrams ..stimulates pancreas to pour forth insulin; the insulin in turn causes the liver and muscles to withdraw sugar and store it as a form of sugar, or glycogen or change it into fat, thus preventing it being lost in urine. The tremendous amounts of sugar defeat the purpose for which sugar is needed -- to produce enegy efficiently. Too much sugar is withdrawn due to the oversupply of insulin; the result, ironically, is fatigue
p 24 in studies mentioned, efficiency for three hours was produced by only 22 grams or more of protein. Meals furnishing 55 grams protein sustained a high level of energy and a high metabolism for six hours afterward.
p35 "Let's eat right to keep fit" Adelle Davis When you eat more protein than your body can use immediately, your liver withdraws amino acids from your blood and changes them temporarily into protein storage. As your cells use amino acids the supply is replenished from the breakdown of stored protein. As long as your diet is adeduate, the amount of amino acids in your blood is thereby kept relatively constant.
If you ignore your health to the extent of eating insufficient protein, the stored protein is quickly exhausted. From that time on, the less important body tissues are destroyed to free amino acids needed to rebuild more vital structures. Such a process can go on month after month, year after year. Your body continues to function after a fashion. Useen abnormalities set in because blood proteins, hormones, enzymes, and antibodies can no longer be formed in amounts needed. Muscles lose tone, wrinkles appear, aging creeps on , and you, my dear, are going to pot.
It is possible, though not probable, that you may eat more protein than your body needs. After the storage depots are filled, the leftover protein is changed by the liver into glucose and fat, the nitrogen being excreted in urine; the sugar and fat may be used immediately to produce energy or may be stored as fat. Proteins are also used to produce energy whenever too few other foods are eaten to produce calorie requirments.

 

hi there just passing through.. as a racing cyclist for about 50 years.. stuff all the power bars ect,,,, a good old 2 slices of white bread and lots of jam is equal to 4 power bars.. just look at the big tours,, the riders EAT jam sandwiches... power bars another crap money making rip off .. bon courage...

 

Fig Newtons....or even better (read cheaper) is generic "fig bars". The poor man's PowerBar