Free Recipes

Energy bars and energy gels are an excellent portable source of energy for athletes, especially for swimmers.  While they may not necessarily provide more nutrition than an ordinary snack, depending on the ordinary snack you choose, they are definitely more convenient for use during sporting events for a variety of reasons.

Energy bars and energy gels for athletes provide a mix of nutrients in formulas that are designed to provide bursts of energy during and after long exercise sessions.  Basically, the burst of energy is provided by sugar, and you can get the same effect from eating a piece of fruit or even a candy bar.  However, energy bars will have added vitamins, minerals and protein compared to the candy bar, and while the whole fruit may have more nutritional value, it can be messy to keep fruit in your locker at the gym if you’re going for a winter swim, or carry it along on a long walk or run.  In addition, caffeine and creatine have been shown to have effects on your workout, so you might want to choose energy bars that include those ingredients for added energy and muscle power.

Energy bars and energy gels for athletes were developed specifically for this reason.  The bars fit easily into your pocket during a workout—there are even small versions that can fit into a waterproof pocket of your swim trunks if you’re a swimmer.  Pick one without a chocolate coating for your workouts, because the coating can melt due to the body heat generated by your workout.  Also, energy bars with certain sugar substitutes, like sorbitol, should be avoided due to their potential to induce diarrhea.

Energy gels may be even more useful to athletes.  Although they don’t provide the same nutritional benefits as fresh snacks or energy bars—they’re basically missing the added vitamins and are merely intended to give you a carbohydrate boost plus to hydrate you a bit with their water content—they’re meant to be able to be digested while you’re still exercising.  If you’re running hard, trying to eat an energy gel might cause you to choke, and if you’re swimming, opening a packet and swallowing a semi-liquid in between laps is a lot easier than chewing on trail mix.

Regardless of which energy bars and energy gels for athletes you choose, don’t forget that a proper end to any workout includes hydration.  Even more important than refreshing your energy is refreshing the water you lose during a workout by sweating.  Bring along a bottle of water or a sports drink that replenishes electrolytes and make sure to drink it throughout the workout, not just at the end, or you might make yourself sick by drinking too much on an empty stomach.

While nutrition on a day to day basis is more important in the long run if you’re a swimmer or any other type of athlete, energy bars and energy gels for athletes do have benefits, the most important one being convenience.