Power Bars and Drinks

[Prince Loeffler]

I was at 7/11 today and as I waited in line, There is a whole section of power drinks and other supplentary energy drinks. Also along the isle were a vast arrays of power bars.

There are drinks to help you get ripped, lose wieght, enhance energy, lean mass...etc.

I have never really quite caught up on this rage or fad. Are these power bars and drinks really do what they advertise or are they just hype ?

Any one here actually swears on these engineered "health" products ?

[Gene Williams]

It is mostly good marketing...and they are expensive. You can do as well with fruit snacks, juices, water, and nuts. Some of it is downright dangerous, as in the ephedra products and other "natural" products. So, work out hard, eat right, and take vitamins. Save your money. Gene

[elder999]

Some of them are decent products, and tasty too. Good for recovery, or long bike rides and hikes, when weight becomes an issue. I like the "Boulder Bars," and a few others. The majority of the "Power Bar" type products taste really awful, like frosted cardboard, though, and I try to avoid the ones that melt or freeze. The drinks don't have to be too much more sophisticated than Gatorade, IMHO, though they are also good for recovery, or mid workout stuff....

[CEB]

I agree with Gene. But, I kind of like some of the Powerbar type of things (there are a lot of different brands now) because they are handy to take on a bike ride. I like to only ride with a small seat bag and not mess with the panniers. After I throw in my wallet, my keys and spare inner tube and tool kit in the bag there isn’t much room left. When size and convience isn’t an issue post work-out taters and gravy would probably do you just as well. :)

Be careful with too much fruit juices over a long period of time. You can get too much acid in your system and get the shakes. I'm a big fan of water.

[Prince Loeffler]

I am also a big fan of water too Ed. And that's another thing. Power Aid now has like 4 - 5 different flavored water in a sports bottle. I like to go the clerk and request that if the store has any "traditional" water:D

Its just amazing to see these power bars and drinks.

[Prince Loeffler]

Originally posted by Gene Williams
Some of it is downright dangerous, as in the ephedra products and other "natural" products.

Hi Gene,

what exactly is "ephedera" ? How are they dangerous ?

[Steve Williams]

Just had a "flashback" to the Simpsons episode when Homer eat nothing but power bars :D

[MarkF]

I'll answer for Gene, not in place of him, but because someone asked about something in my area of expertise. You can ignore it if you don't like the answer. Remember, it is coming your way by the world wide web, the Internet.

Many of these power drinks contain ephedrine (ephedra is the name of the plant or "herb"). Chemically, it is the same as Speed, crank, prescription diet meds containing amphetamines, and is the active ingredient in making such drugs. Many chinese herbalists make up different types of herbal remedies, making you feel you can breathe easier and deeper, and will open the nasal passages. That and the synthetic equivalent, pseudo-ephedrine, are cold remedies, and work by constricting blood vessels in the nose and lungs. The herbals will do the same thing even when you don't need it. It will also increase your blood pressure, your heart will beat harder and faster, and in some produce a kind of euphoria. It can also cause heart arrythmias, aortic spasm, and myocardial infarction (a heart attack). Some asthma remedies also contain variants of these drugs, and ephedra is a drug listed as that or as ephderine in both the US Pharmacopia and National Formularae. So is caffeine (generally the salt is benzoate of soda).

I've also seen ephedrine listed in the ingredients of some of the so-called power bars, and most do contain caffeine, especially is it contains chocolate. Be wary of any drink which guarantees or states increased energy. Guarana is another, but is chemically identical to caffeine.

The vitamin ingredients in power food are probably accurate in what they contain, but what is not stated is that the body can only utilize a fraction of the stated amounts because they are not in a form readily bio-available. It is the same with cereal which guarantee one-hundred percent of the recommended daily allowance. They do, but you don't.

If your concern is electrolyte depletion, drinks such as gatorade do contain them in small quantities, so you would probably do better by taking a few potassium gluconate tablets (you can't get more than 99 mgs. of elemental potassium tablets. Anymore than that is considered a drug and you must have a prescription, but you generally don't need all that much).

As Gene said, take your vitamins, do include a mineral complex as well, and an electrolyte formulation can generally be found OTC. Water is probably more important when dehydrated than all the Gatorade in Florida. It can save your life.

Basically, power food is fine for a snack, but then so is a Snickers Bar.

There is no such thing as too much fruit juice. While orange, grapfruit, and pineapple are acids, the stomach fluids contain large amounts of hydrochloric acid and I guarantee that will eat through metals. Acids in fruit juices are generally healthy. If you can't tolerate them, then that is a person to person reaction, not a general one. Vitamin C is generally taken as ascorbic acid and is actually good for a healthy renal system (kidneys, urinary bladder, etc.) You can get vitamin C as calcium ascorbate, and if you take large amounts, in general one should try to avoid sodium ascorbate due to the sodium content, but still it is very safe unless you have borderline BP problems. Even here, the avoidance of salt is probably over-stated, but it can't hurt to be on the safe side, anyway.


Mark

[MarkF]

BTW: Another way of getting enough potassium is to use potassium chloride as a salt substitute. It is contained in most all substitutes for salt, and does have a salty taste.


Mark

[StanLee]

I've had bad experiences with Power Bars. During one of the coldest winters in the UK. A friend and I undertook a charity bike ride... stupid really if you think about it, mind you I was only 17yrs at the time.

Anyway, the only food we had was power bars, but the weather was so cold that they were frozen solid (and so was our water), so we couldn't eat them at all!

The result, we had no food or water from around 4am to 4pm in subzero temperatures. You see! It was stupid!

I find that the best source of energy is a bag of chips, curry sauce and a pork pie!

Mmmmmm pork pie... arrggg...

Stan

[RDeppe]

Most (but not all) 'power bars' are high in protein and low in fat. Carbs vary greatly. In my experience only a few of the brands out there put caffine in their bars and the ones that do tend to be low in protein and high in fat (don't know why--maybe they are marketing to aitkens dieters??). Most bars are priced between 1 to 2 dollars with a few higher (and it depends on the store)

--so if the choice is between fast food and a 'power bar' I'd go with the bar.

[joe yang]

For food on the go, dried fruit, raisins, dates, figs, Nuts and hard cheese. Water with a splash of soya.

For overnights, wine, not beer.

For ultra light travel, August, steal corn. :rolleyes:

[Qasim]

Originally posted by RDeppe
...don't know why--maybe they are marketing to aitkens dieters??).

Atkins diet is HIGH in protein. Just nitpicking. :D

[Prince Loeffler]

Originally posted by MarkF

Many of these power drinks contain ephedrine (ephedra is the name of the plant or "herb"). Chemically, it is the same as Speed, crank, prescription diet meds containing amphetamines, and is the active ingredient in making such drugs.
Mark

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the valuable information. As I do not usually read labels of whta I eat or drink. I figured that if they are sold in stores, therefore safe for public consumption.

I am a little baffled however, If the Ephedera contains similar types of drugs described above and can cause more harm than goods, how come they are legal ?

[RDeppe]

Originally posted by Qasim


Atkins diet is HIGH in protein. Just nitpicking. :D

--Not entirely true. There is a form of it (apparently in the first couple weeks of starting) that is high in fat. And the appeal to the atkins (thanks for the spelling fix btw) diet seems to be that it allows them to eat a fair amount of fat-- more than I would ever consider healthy (this from observing the numerious people around me that are on it).

[MarkF]

Originally posted by Prince Loeffler


Hi Mark,

Thanks for the valuable information. As I do not usually read labels of whta I eat or drink. I figured that if they are sold in stores, therefore safe for public consumption.

I am a little baffled however, If the Ephedera contains similar types of drugs described above and can cause more harm than goods, how come they are legal ?

Ephedra is from where drugs such as ephedrine, which are then made into methadrine in your local illegal meth lab (instructions can be found on the Internet) Ephedra itself is just one drug used for a lot of things. It is an herb, but not all herbs are safe simply because they are natural substances. If used for nasal decongestion for example, over too long a time, you can develope what is kindly called rebound congestion, but what really is an addiction. Think of the last cold you had. How well did you tolerate the stuffy nose? If you couldn't, using this or similar drugs in sprays or drops (or by mouth, too), can be over-used very quickly.

There are lots of drugs which are legal, with and without prescriptions which can be bad for you and addicting. Another would be the common OTC cough suppressant dextromethorphan, a decent drug for its intended purpose (not as good as codeine, but close) found in such OTC cough meds such as Robitussin, but as it is made from opiiod plants, technically it is a narcotic. Some become addicted to it. Most do work on the CNS so addiction to them shouldn't be too surprising, but in moderation and used as recommended there is little chance of such an outcome. The problem with ephedrine, is that it has only recently been found as an effective weight control drug, and that it is safe...providing you don't over use and that you do not have predisposing disease processes, such as hypertension. Neo-synephrine, Afrin, Dristan and many others either contain ephedrine or similar drugs. You need to begin reading labels, and those herbal shops are beginning to put warnings on the products they sell (I should say Cautions, not warnings). It isn't really whether it is legal or not, but in how one uses it. A person about to use any kind of drug, substance, etc., should be well-read on the subject or ask a professional, such as a pharmacist, or medical doctor. Even if the drug is an illegal one, you should be informed.

Aspirin is a commonly-used drug and is good for the stated purposes (pain relief, antipyretic action, anti-inflammatory) but people do abuse it because of the belief that, because it requires no prescription, it must be safe, or because a prescription isn't required that it isn't as "strong" as others which are prescribed. That is a wrong assumption. While aspirin is probably the most overlooked and effective drug on the market, it is most likely better than some of its chemical cousins requiring a scrip. Reason: It has been around for so long (native american peoples have been using the bark of salicylate trees for centuries for pain relief) that some consider it "old school." But suddenly, medical doctors are prescribing aspirin in low doses to be taken every day because it has been found effective in preventing certain types of strokes and heart attacks (it is a blood thinner). People have gone deaf with the injudicios use of Acetyl salicilic acid (Aspirin), or have become addicted to it. Tylenol is perfectly safe when used as stated, but with constant use, over time, it can ruin the kidneys, the liver, or the entire renal system. It is up to the user of such to be informed, and the information is out there. Most of these are to be used over short periods except for low-dose aspirin.

All the anti-histamines coming off the prescribed drug lists and now available over the counter do not address the possible side-effects they may cause.

Hey, I could go on and on, but just remember to read labels and package inserts. If a prescription drug, as the pharmacist for the package insert or to make you a copy, or simply ask. In most states today, pharmacists are _required_ to give counseling on how to take your meds so don't be afraid to ask, and don't assume anyone in a lab coat is a pharmacist, ask! But do your own research as well, it could save your life.
******

Mark

[wendy ongaro]

One of the most common type of drug overdoses I see (other than alcohol and narcotics, prescription or otherwise) is tylenol. Tylenol is often combined with narcotic analgesics, and it is found in a number of over the counter cold rememdies. It is therefore very easy for someone who feels poorly to take their cold medicine, take their pain medicine, and take some extra tylenol for their fever, and in 24 hours, max out the 4 gram a day upper limit and start to affect their liver's in a negative fashion.

In terms of sports drinks and bars, a study performed in Poland of soccer players looked at two soccer teams playing against each other over a number of games (like 20). The first 10, the players were given water. the next 10, they were given sugar drink. Needless to say, the performance of players on both teams improved significantly when they were supplied with a sugar drink, most likely because they replenished their glycogen stores (which is necessary for initiating aerobic metabolism). the improvement was statistically signficant. I think that most over the counter sports drinks and bars are overpriced, overrate, and not always accurate in their labelling and claims. However, there may be a benefit to taking a dilute fruit drink or gatorage on long endurance workouts.

I like power bars because they are convenient and not so sweet. I hate candy bars because they leave a terrible taste in my mouth and make me thirsty. I try to eat 5-6 small meals a day- one, because meals less than 500 calories do not stimulate a huge insulin dump, so blood sugar levels remain more constant throughout the day, but also, if I have a snack at 9:30 am, when I have a quiet moment, and I get paged for an emergency at 10 til noon, I can survive until I can finally get to my lunch at 2 pm without starving to death.

Finally, nuts, eggs, and fats, for that matter, have gotten a bad rap for way too long. fat is healthy. the problem is we eat too much of the wrong kinds of fats, and saturated simple sugars which screw up our fat metabolism. My family in Italy eats 50%+ of their diet in fats, especially monounsaturated fats, and have little, if any heart disease. Most of my great aunts and uncles lived well and healthy well into their 80's without diabetes or heart disease. nuts and hard boiled eggs are convenient and tasty. nuts do not contain any cholesterol at all, and are very high in monounsaturated fats and vit E. eggs are 1/3 monounsaturated fat, but also contain all vitamins except C, and all the needed essential amino acids.

[CEB]

The Illinois State Gov just signed this into law. We've had some deaths of some young athletes making the news. The kids had been using this stuff to lose weight while training. I asked my doctor a couple years ago about using something I read about in a muscle and fitness magazine which is basically a stack of cafeine, asprin and this ephedra. Doc said all it did was make your heart work harder. He told me it didn't have any effect on metabolism. So he gave me script for a different pill and told me to quit reading those magazines.


Governor signs ban on ephedra

May 25, 2003

BY BRANDON LOOMIS ASSOCIATED PRESS


Gov. Rod Blagojevich signed the nation's first statewide ban on the diet supplement ephedra Sunday, flanked by the parents of a 16-year-old football player who died of a heart attack after it.

"It's a good first step but it's not enough," Blagojevich said. He and other lawmakers urged other states and the federal government to adopt similar bans.

Ephedra, blamed for nearly 120 deaths, drew national attention after officials investigating the February heat stroke death of Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Steve Bechler linked it to a diet pill containing ephedrine, ephedra's active ingredient.

The herbal supplement is sometimes marketed as an athletic performance enhancer.

The drive for a ban in Illinois began last September with the death of 16-year-old Sean Riggins of Lincoln, whose father said he was taking the supplement to help make the first-string football team.

"We have to make sure that (young athletes) can no longer go to the store and buy ephedra as easily as they can chewing gum," Blagojevich said Sunday. The ban took effect immediately.

Earlier this month, nutritional supplement retailer General Nutrition Centers said it would stop selling products containing ephedra. Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed a law last week banning the sale of all diet supplements to children under 18.

The American Heart Association has urged a ban on ephedra sales, and the NFL, NCAA and International Olympic Committee have banned its use by athletes. Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher stood with Blagojevich on Sunday to support the ban.

Riggins' parents, Debbie and Kevin Riggins, are working with Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, in seeking a nationwide ban from the Food and Drug Administration.

"With the signing of this bill today, we are the benchmark," Kevin Riggins said.


Copyright 2003 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

[CEB]

Hi Mark,

My college roommate has a pretty hard training schedule. One time he was training pretty hard and he was practically living off grape and apple juice. He wasn't eating like he should. He was driving back to the appartment and he had to pull over because he got these spasms. He swears it is from muscle acidosis caused by all the juice. In your professional opinion what do you think would be a more likely culprit?

Also I'm curious about something. I take a thing called glucophage. Doctor asked me If I drink before he put me on it. I said no. I forgot that I do have one beer after kendo class. We my wife told me that if I drink while on this pill it can cause latic acidosis and whatever that is I guess it could be fatal. Maybe she just doesn't want me going out with the Kendo guys. :)

I didn't know beer had lactic acid I thought that was a milk thing. Does Beer contain lactic acid or does get created by some sort pancreas related process or something. Just curious. Thanks.
:beer:

[wendy ongaro]

talking about ephedra...

I once had this guy from county jail who was there on meth charges come in to see me because he wanted to lose weight. I did my usual "losing weight while incarcerated is difficult, but possible..." song and dance. After I had finished he asked me if he could get a diet aid to help with his weight loss. I told him we didn't have meridia on the formulary. He asked if I could write a note to let his girlfriend bring in something over the counter.

I batted my big blue eye at him, and made the really wide and PERKY.
"You mean something with EPHEDRA in it?" I asked innocently in my best dumb blonde voice.

His eyes got big and joyful. He was thinking "Alright! I hit the Jackpot!"

"Yeah! That would work great!"

I started laughing. I called in the warden from county. I wrote the warden a script for a 1800 calorie low fat diet for the inmate to be placed on.

I turned back to the inmate. "Honey, do you really think I'm that stupid? You're not getting ephedra in the can. Thank you Warden, we're done."