Natusport Energy Performance Bar havermout en fruit

The Natusport Energy Performance Bar is an energy bar for the road, in an oat and fruit flavour. Handy when you want something solid to eat on a long ride.

What you get

Natusport Energy Performance Bar
Sports energy bar
Oat and fruit flavour

Why an energy bar?

Your body stores only a limited supply of carbohydrate (glycogen) in your muscles and liver. At a steady effort that lasts roughly 90 to 120 minutes. After that your power drops and you can hit the wall. Eating on the move keeps your pace and your focus up.

A bar is solid food. It fills you up and it tastes of something, which matters on long, easy days such as gravel rides, bikepacking or a four-hour club run. At high intensity solid food digests more slowly, and gels or a sports drink are easier to handle.

As a rule of thumb, rides of more than about an hour and a half call for 30 to 60 g of carbohydrate per hour. A bar usually holds 20 to 40 g, so that works out at one or two bars an hour, topped up with drink if you like. On rides beyond 2.5 to 3 hours, trained riders go up to about 90 g an hour, using a mix of carbohydrate sources.

Check the label for fibre, fat and protein, because they slow digestion. On the bike, bars that are high in carbohydrate and low in fibre and fat sit most easily. A fibre-rich granola bar suits the time before the ride or a gentle pace.

Types of energy bar compared

Bars differ a lot in what is in them. The figures are guidelines, and the label tells you what is really inside.

Type	Carbs per bar	Digestion	Suits	Watch for
Oat or cereal bar	About 25 to 40 g	Moderate, because of the fibre	Long, easy rides	Feels heavy at high effort
Fruit bar (date, fig)	About 20 to 30 g	Fairly quick, low in fat	Easy to moderate pace	Sticky and sometimes high in fibre
Sports bar (syrup, maltodextrin)	About 30 to 45 g	Quick, low in fibre and fat	Moderate to hard pace	Goes hard in the cold
Protein bar	About 10 to 25 g	Slow, because of protein and fat	Before or after the ride	Too few carbs on the bike

A general guide. Brands and recipes differ, so read the label.

Choose it if

You want solid fuel for long rides that fits in a jersey pocket
You prefer an oat and fruit bar over the sweet taste of a gel
You often ride longer than an hour and a half and want to eat on the way.
You like solid food and find gels too sweet or too runny.

Choose something else if

You need quick energy for a final sprint: a gel or drink works faster
You ride for less than an hour. Water is usually enough.
You ride so hard that your stomach struggles with solid food. Pick a gel or sports drink.

How to use an energy bar

Read the label
Look at the carbohydrate per bar, the fibre and the fat. Work out how many bars an hour you need to reach 30 to 60 g.
Start early
Eat the first bar after about 30 to 45 minutes, before you feel hungry. If you wait until you are empty, it is hard to catch up.
Eat in small pieces
Break the bar into pieces and eat one every 20 to 30 minutes. Your stomach stays settled and the supply stays even.
Drink with it
Take a few good swallows of water with each bar. Around 400 to 800 ml an hour is common, depending on the heat and how much you sweat.
Test in training first
Try a new bar on an ordinary ride first. That way you know how your stomach copes before the big day.

Good to know

The number of bars per pack is not in the title, so check the contents
Look at the nutrition values and allergens on the packaging
Carbohydrate per bar ranges from about 20 to 45 g. Go by the number on the label. The size of the bar tells you little.
Cold makes bars hard and tough to chew. Keep them in an inside pocket close to your body.
Many bars contain nuts, milk, soy or gluten. Read the allergen list, even on a brand you know.
These are general guidelines for recreational riders. For personal nutrition advice, or with a medical condition such as diabetes, ask a doctor or sports dietitian.

What you get

Why an energy bar?

Types of energy bar compared

Choose it if

Choose something else if

How to use an energy bar

Read the label

Start early

Eat in small pieces

Drink with it

Test in training first

Good to know

Also in this category