energy bars a joke?
 

how come energy bars dont give you a buzz? the cliff bar protein bars and MET rx 100 bars have tons of protein in them, but they dont really give you say energy compared to that of like a monster. are energy bars just a joke market.

Placebo effect.
Some think a Snicker's bar is almost equal, coupled with a glass of water.
If you believe it works for you, then it certainly DOES work for you.

All food is energy, don't eat anything for a while and you will perk up after any meal. Unless you really need caffeine or some sort of stimulant to get going a PB@J sandwich is your best option for sustained energy.

Eat a bowl of Grape-nuts for energy

Perhaps it doesn't have as much caffeine, or caffeine in liquid form enters your system more rapidly?

yeah, but when you drink like a monster extra strength or red line you get that like "thump" in your heart that feels good.

the only problem is though that these things are not that good for you I think. red line make you sweet like crazy, you can see your veins and is known for making people fail drug test. is there anything better for you that can still give you that push or just fake energy bars.

It's more mis-use than anything.

Kind of like guys downing gatorade and misc energy drinks when they aren't even breaking a sweat in the gym.

not at all. I think gatorade is a joke. I never use it as it is just carbs and sugar. I am very safe with mmy suplements.

Well my post wasn't directed at gatorade itself, and whether or not it does what it advertises to do.

I was simply saying, if you're not breaking a sweat, then you don't need to replenish no electrolytes. Like you said, at the point, it's just carbs and sugar.

How come energy bars don't give you a "buzz"??? Why would you expect one? From protein?? Energy sources, be they carbohydrates, Provigil, caffeine, low dose amphetamine, do not usually produce a buzz taken orally.

Why not Cheerios?

Why not just take espressos without sugar? That's probably decent for your health as long as you don't overdo it. Most likely the rush is from caffeine and sugar in the energy drinks.

These days a lot of people are faking ADD in order to get amphetamine prescriptions from doctors. That should give you an even better rush, but don't believe it isn't terrible for your health.

1 cup Cheerios has 20 grams of carbs. 1/2 cup Grape-Nuts has 49 grams of carbs from grains.

I still say Froot Loops.

Mo sugar, Mo problems

More accurately, typically energy bars do not contain stimulants such as caffeine or the metabolites (the three dimethylxanthines - theophylline being a popular one). There are exceptions to this, however those are generally labeled as such (lets neglect the contribution from things like GTE or coffee flavoring, which are standard <10mg/g). However, they contain a mix of P/C/F - that is an energy source (kcal).

Stimulants != Nutritional Energy. The two are not synonymous, and can not be interchanged.

That 'buzz' or thump you're feeling is caused by a sudden rise in stimulant activity in your body - with something like red line, that's mostly attributed to caffeine and yohimbine (think ECY - Y in particular has been off putting for a number of people, reactions aren't always too smooth, hence why EC was popular). Evodiamine doesn't help it out either... take that, blood pressure!

Redline (VPX Sports) is sugar free I think, but take a look at the back of a can of a regular drink (rockstar, monster, etc) - 60g of sugar a can? I can't remember; something horrendous.


Just my thoughts on it...

There is 160 grams of caffeine in a 16 ounce can of Monster.

(For comparison, there is only 34 grams in a 12 ounce can of Coke, 100 mg in a 12 ounce McDonal's coffee, and 150 mg in a 16 ounce Starbucks Latte.)

For those feeling drowsy, caffeine can provide me a pick me up.

Too much caffeine though, can cause lead to a feeling of nervous energy and difficult concentrating - not what you want on a tennis court.

Here is what the USTA booklet on Recovery In Tennis has to say:

"Caffeine is a naturally occurring stimulant
that can be found in coffee, tea, caffeinated
soda, and chocolate in dosages typically
between 30-200mg of caffeine. A large
strong coffee could have more than 200mg
of caffeine. Although caffeine has been
studied extensively in many sports, showing
a multitude of physical improvements in
strength, power, speed and endurance, the
data is limited in tennis players. The few
studies that have been conducted have not
shown positive performance improvements in
tennis players. Recent research on caffeine
and dehydration show limited evidence
of caffeine having a negative response
to thermoregulation or hydration status
in dosages between 300-400mg per day.
However, caffeine is not a supplement that is
recommended for tennis play or competition,
but under appropriate guidance, may have
some positive effects for off-court training
for adult players. Large dosages (>500mg per
day) need to be discouraged, as this could
have detrimental effects on heart rate, fine
motor control, technique, over-arousal and
hydration level. Not enough data is available
on children and thus caffeine should not be a
supplement used by junior tennis players."



Energy, like many words has multiple meanings.

The "energy" in a Cliff bar does not apply to the stimulant effect exhibited by caffeine.

It applies to the caloric energy supplied - calories being a measure of food energy.

Our muscles need the energy from food to move and recover.

The USTA Recovery in Tennis booklet provides information on food to prepare you for play and to help you recover. http://assets.usta.com/assets/1/15/r...es_booklet.pdf

very informative, thanks guys

Glad you enjoyed the responses.


A toast to you, and your health!

Steer absolutely clear from caffeine before a hard workout. That "thump" you're feeling in your heart rate and blood pressure increasing. The latter is also the same reason why you become more vascular (veiny). Caffeine gives you zero muscular energy whatsoever and in exercise serves only to increase your rate of metabolism (fine if you're using it as a weight loss supplement, terrible if you need legit energy for endurance). It, along with guarana and taurine also act as diuretics (technically taurine is used to increase "focus", not be a stim or diruretic) so you end up losing water that you very much need. If you want real energy in a pinch, look at Hammer or GU gels. They're a blend of complex carbs and amino acids without any caffeine. The former especially will perk you right up.