Understanding the content of protein bars

What’s In There?
Understanding the content of protein bars
By Rehan Jalali


Protein bars are certainly everywhere these days. Walk into any health food, gym, grocery or even convenience store, and there are boxes upon boxes of these protein-fortified snacks. The problem is there are so many protein bars out there, it’s hard to sort through them all. But how do you determine which protein bars are the best choice for your clients?
Most of us know that quality nutrition and supplementation is the key to achieving athletic and physical success. It is important to eat approximately five to seven small meals daily to increase nutrient absorption, enhance metabolic rate and help stabilize blood sugar (and insulin) levels. Eating small meals throughout the day makes logical sense, but it has also been shown to be beneficial according to clinical research. For example, one study published in the Canadian Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology showed that increased frequency of feeding helped stabilize insulin secretion. The researchers of this study went on to say increasing the number of meals increased thermogenesis and fat utilization. That sounds good to anyone looking to lose body fat! Yet another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition states that increasing meal frequency can actually help lower LDL (bad cholesterol) levels in normal people. High protein meal replacement bars help you stick to this frequent eating program. (Who has time to cook six meals daily?) They can help improve overall nutrition, and they provide key nutrients your body needs to improve health and physical performance. They are convenient in that they can be taken with you to work or the gym. Like meal replacement powders, it is easy to quantify macronutrients in the bar as they are listed on the label. You know how many calories, protein, etc. you are consuming. They can also be cost effective. A typical protein bar costs less than $3. Furthermore, trainers can keep boxes of them around for their clients after they complete their workouts.

Protein bars usually contain protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and minerals and additional functional ingredients. High-protein/moderate- to high-carb bars are best suited for athletes and workout fanatics looking to get quality protein and carbs for increased energy. They are excellent for after a workout to enhance recovery and recuperation and enhance carbohydrate storage (glycogen) in muscle tissue. Low-carb/high-protein bars are good for people looking to maintain lean muscle mass and lose body fat as part of a diet and training program (although I do not advocate the use of protein bars when trying to get “super ripped”).

A question on everyone’s minds recently has been, “How many carbohydrates are actually in my protein bar?” This question has not only been raised by consumers but also the FDA who has now forced manufacturers to label glycerol and other sugar alcohols in protein bars as carbohydrates even though they do not act like carbs in the body. That is why the nutritional labels of protein bars have changed, and you can see that carbohydrate content has shot up drastically with these new regulations. Of course, you’ll also see terms such as “net impact” carbs or “unavailable” carbs on the label as well with some sort of fancy chart explaining it all. Manufacturers are listing these to educate consumers about the type of nutrients in the bars and the little to no impact they have on blood sugar levels. The FDA defines glycerol as a carbohydrate by process of elimination. That is, when a bar is analyzed, anything that is not protein, fat, moisture and ash is considered a carbohydrate. This philosophy is strongly disagreed upon by supplement manufacturers who contend that, since glycerol is only partially absorbed and does not act like a carbohydrate in the body, it should not be listed as such. Glycerol (also known as glycerin or glycerine) is a colorless, odorless, sweet-tasting nutrient. It is technically a trihydroxy alcohol found naturally as the backbone of triglycerides in the body. It is added to bars to help make them moist and also to sweeten them. It does not cause any significant blood sugar response when taken as part of a protein bar and seems to be eliminated from the body mostly unused. Glycerol is an interesting compound that has been shown to enhance athletic performance and cause “hyperhydration” when consumed with water (above and beyond that with water alone). It seems to help keep the body cooler during exercise. Glycerol does contain 4.32 calories per gram, so clients should keep that in mind.

Most protein bars usually start out with a “proprietary protein blend.” Some bars may have only one protein source such as whey protein isolate, but it is preferred to get a protein blend to utilize all the functional benefits of different proteins and help support lean muscle mass. Quality whey protein isolate has benefits including providing intact immunoglobulins to support immune function, providing the highest concentration of BCAAs (branched chain amino acids leucine, isoleucine and valine, which play a key role in the muscle building process — about 25%), it has a high biological value (BV), which means it is readily absorbed and utilized by human muscle tissue, and it may even support IGF-1 levels. It is very important to look at the processing techniques of different whey proteins as this will determine whether the important microfractions in whey (the compounds that give whey its functional benefits) are still intact and not destroyed. Look for ion exchange whey isolate (it uses the ion-exchange process where proteins are separated based on their electric charge, which is controlled using various chemicals) or ultrafiltered or cross flow microfiltered whey (they both use a very high-tech, cold manufacturing process that utilizes ceramic filters to remove the fat and lactose and isolate the protein without damaging it). Whey protein concentrate is a cheaper version of whey protein but is not as pure as whey isolate. Casein is another milk protein that seems to have a timed release effect as it forms a gel in the stomach to slow the transit time of amino acids, which may enhance absorption. It has a very high natural glutamine content, and most of this glutamine is found in the peptide form for better absorption (due to peptide transport systems in the digestive tract). Glutamine is a very important amino acid that has many benefits including supporting lean muscle mass. Milk protein isolate contains both whey and casein, and it is a decent source for these two proteins. Soy protein isolate has been shown to enhance thyroid hormone output, which can increase metabolic rate to support fat loss. The isoflavones in soy have shown to have numerous health benefits including cholesterol and triglyceride-lowering effects. It contains an excellent ratio of glutamine, arginine and the BCAAs. Also, it is a fairly low priced protein source and can have positive benefits for mainly women but men as well. Egg albumin protein is the “regular old Joe” protein. It boasts a great amino acid profile but does not offer very many functional benefits. Hydrolyzed protein is also another source of protein found frequently in bars because it is inexpensive. This protein is heat treated (and pre-digested), and most of the microfractions are destroyed. However, it does contain peptides, which are better absorbed in the body.

Most high protein bars currently on the market are not baked , so if the raw materials were quality, the protein microfractions stay intact. However, the raw material ingredients that make up a bar may have been subjected to heat. Ask manufacturers of bars to provide you with certificates of analysis for the proteins in the bar (and for the bar itself), which should give you peace of mind about the quality of the protein you are getting. Also, bars that contain rolled oats and some granola-type bars are baked, and the proteins in them lose the microfractions due to baking. The basic bar-making process from a quality manufacturer goes like this: First, the main ingredients (including the proteins) are mixed together (manually or using an industrial sized mixer) with water, then the mixture is laid on a table evenly and goes through a “cooling” machine process (the cooling tunnel/extruder) where it is cooled. Next, the bar is taken out of the cooling machine, and some are then coated with chocolate coating (enrobed). Finally, the bar sheets are cut and ready to be wrapped. (This is of course a simplistic version of the process.)

As mentioned, protein bars contain carbohydrates. Typically, the main source is glycerol (glycerine), especially in “low-carb” bars. Bars loaded with glycerol may cause stomach discomfort in some people, so again drink plenty of water with these protein bars. Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (dextrose), rice syrup, maltitol, honey (invert sugar), turbinado sugar, sucrose (which is glucose +fructose), crisp rice and fructose are all used as carbohydrate sources in bars. Fructose is fruit sugar and is added to bars not only to provide a source of carbohydrates but also to sweeten the product. It is mainly metabolized in the liver and therefore has a lower glycemic index. Consuming higher amounts of fructose can lower metabolic rate and cause fat storage to occur since the liver can metabolize only a certain amount of fructose.

Protein bars also contain fat. The usual fats found in these bars are partially hydrogenated oils, fractionated vegetable oils, palm kernel oil and peanut butter. A few bars also have added essential fatty acids (EFAs), but it is very difficult to preserve the quality due to their sensitivity to light, heat and oxygen. Most of the fat (especially the saturated fat) found in bars is in the chocolate coating. Saturated fats have been linked to many health problems including cardiovascular disease. Partially hydrogenated oils produce trans fatty acids (along with other altered fats) during the hydrogenation process. They are also very detrimental to health and have been known to increase cholesterol and interfere with the liver’s detoxification system. Hydrogenated oils increase the shelf life of products, which is usually nine months to one year for most protein bars. Fractionated oils seem to be better for your clients. Fractionation is separating an oil into two or more different triglyceride fractions due to their having different chemical properties. In other words, it allows weaker oils to be changed into better oils.

Protein bars contain a blend of vitamins and minerals to support overall health and many chemical processes in the body. Vitamins and minerals are usually ancillary items added to bars, but if your client has a poor diet, they can help. Using protein bars can be a very convenient way for clients to get the vital nutrients their bodies need to maximize their individual fitness programs.

Rehan Jalali is president of the Supplement Research Foundation. He is an industry recognized sports nutritionist, biochemist and natural bodybuilder who has over 250 nationally published articles on nutrition and supplementation. He has been studying the science, efficacy and safety of sports supplements for over 10 years. Contact him via email at rehan@tsrf.com. For additional information about the Supplement Research Foundation, visit www.tsrf.com.