question about fitness bars

[breadisfunny]

does eating those energy bars that advertise that they are for eating before,during,and after workouts ok to eat if i'm not actually exercising? they taste kind of good and they list a lot of stuff like protein and vitamins in them so it can't be harmful can it? am i supposed to move about when eating those or are they just to provide an energy boost during a workout? i'm not sure.

[Strear]

It depends on the type of bar breadisfunny. I have some bars that have taurin inside, so I wouldn't say eat these anytime. Some have many calories too. I think the average " energy " bar won't do much even if you don't work out. Same goes with the fact I see a huge amount on teens handling Gatorade bottles even if they don't intend to do any sport (I guess some don't know it was meant for sport).

[endersblade]

It depends on the type of bar breadisfunny. I have some bars that have taurin inside, so I wouldn't say eat these anytime. Some have many calories too. I think the average " energy " bar won't do much even if you don't work out. Same goes with the fact I see a huge amount on teens handling Gatorade bottles even if they don't intend to do any sport (I guess some don't know it was meant for sport).

I view gatorade as the step between sodas (being bad) and water (being good). It isn't near as bad for you as soda, it isn't carbonated, and it has some stuff in it that's good for you. And I wouldn't necessarily say it's either better or worse than straight water, because it does have some things in it that typical tap water does not that are actually good for you. But drinking water is boring, and drinking soda is bad, so just drink gatorade and get the best of both worlds!

[breadisfunny]

It depends on the type of bar breadisfunny. I have some bars that have taurin inside, so I wouldn't say eat these anytime. Some have many calories too. I think the average " energy " bar won't do much even if you don't work out. Same goes with the fact I see a huge amount on teens handling Gatorade bottles even if they don't intend to do any sport (I guess some don't know it was meant for sport).

what does taurin do?
why wouldn't they do much of anything if they have so many vitamins and proteins and fiber?

[Sinyc]

Most of those are filled with calories and carbs and fat. But as long as you stay within your calorie and macro range for the day go ahead.

[Xargoth6634]

I view gatorade as the step between sodas (being bad) and water (being good). It isn't near as bad for you as soda, it isn't carbonated, and it has some stuff in it that's good for you. And I wouldn't necessarily say it's either better or worse than straight water, because it does have some things in it that typical tap water does not that are actually good for you. But drinking water is boring, and drinking soda is bad, so just drink gatorade and get the best of both worlds!

Well, it IS healthier than soda, but it still has a ton of calories. If you're trying to drop weight I'd steer clear of Gatorade; it's more for athletes trying to re-hydrate and whatnot. Personally, when I'm trying to cut back on calories I get Lipton iced tea and cut it with water. A 20 oz bottle of half tea/half water tastes good and is only about 40 calories.

[Realsykes]

They're usually high in calories for a single bar (which is what you want if you're exercising), and for a sedentary lifestyle...that's a no-go. They're small and most of them aren't complex carbs, so you're likely to feel hungry afterwards, yet you just took in quite a bit of calories for such a small piece of food. It isn't worth it for someone of your lifestyle.

I buy Quest bars by the box though <3

[chazus]

I usually have a small stockpile of bars for mornings when I'm too lazy to make an actual meal (eggs or smoothie). I personally like the Powerbar Protein bars, as they're high in protein and relatively low in sugar/carbs. Each one is about 200 calories.

It isn't meal replacement, but having a bar (not an 'energy' bar) doesn't hurt, and if you do SOME exercise that's better than nothing. If you're worried about health, just look at what's in it. Keep a vague count of calories, and know where those calories come from.

As Likuidz mentioned, Quest bars are actually quite good, but they're also more expensive if you eat them routinely.

[lockedout]

I view gatorade as the step between sodas (being bad) and water (being good). It isn't near as bad for you as soda, it isn't carbonated, and it has some stuff in it that's good for you. And I wouldn't necessarily say it's either better or worse than straight water, because it does have some things in it that typical tap water does not that are actually good for you. But drinking water is boring, and drinking soda is bad, so just drink gatorade and get the best of both worlds!

One 12 ounce serving of Gatorade's Thirst Quencher contains 21 grams of sugar. However, because a regular bottle contains 32 ounces, you are actually consuming 56 grams of sugar, about one-fifth the recommended daily amount of total carbohydrates and about twice the recommendation for added sugar consumption. In addition, Gatorade boasts almost twice the amount of sodium as other leading brands, working to stimulate the thirst mechanism.

[kidsafe]

For endurance activities like cycling, running, hiking, trekking, etc. you need those carbs. I want to keep my caloric deficit at a minimum and carbs get stored in muscle as glycogen way faster than proteins and fats. When I go biking, I generally bring the following.

(2) 24oz bottles each filled with 1.5 scoops of Gatorade Endurance
(1) Clif Shot energy gel
(1) Clif Shot energy gel +25mg caffeine
(1) Clif Shot energy gel +100mg caffeine
(2) Honey Stinger honey waffles (1oz each, 160cal)

I will have consumed them all during a 3 hour ride at regular intervals because having your body exhausted of glucose is the worst thing ever.

Outside of long cardio sessions though? You probably don't want to be eating such energy dense foods. If you consumed them like normal food, your brain would be sending you mixed signals because it's low volume, but packed with calories.

[Deathquoi]

If you're not exercising then you shouldn't be eating bars loaded with carbs.

Also, Gatorade is not "healthy". It's loaded with sugar.