# Energy bar that is easy on the stomach



## senatorw (Jul 26, 2006)

Okay, this is a delicate problem. Since I got out of knee surgery 6 months ago, I got cleared to ride on the real road in late March. Today I got up to a 40 mile ride, and noticed that in each of the last two weeks, when I get back home, I have fairly severe intestinal distress. :blush2: 

Today I ate two Cliff bars and I suspect that is the cause. I drink water with a little gatorade in it but after months on the trainer, I don't think that is it.

Not sure if I have a reaction to something but Powerbars and Cliffbars do it to me. Suggestions for an easy on your stomach energy bar? Or some sort of drink that does the same thing? I hear about Eduromax?

Thanks.


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## Alx (Mar 22, 2007)

I use NoXplod, it tastes great and it packs a punch of energy! Gatorade also makes my stomach hurt if I drink too much.


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## ericm979 (Jun 26, 2005)

Gatorade makes me ill too. Bleah. Clif bars are fine, I can eat them all day. But it's a very individual thing. HEED seems to work pretty well for me- lots of calories and no stomache or intestinal problems. Are you getting enough water to go with your bars? I carry one bottle of plain water so I can have some to wash down bites of a bar. Bar plus sports drink is too much.


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## senatorw (Jul 26, 2006)

Okay, maybe that's the thing. I mix about 3/4 water to 1/4 gatorade, plus the bars (generally go through one for every 3 hours ride, but yesterday I thought I was going to go farther than 40 miles). Hearing HEED come up a lot.


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## shaggz (Mar 16, 2007)

during a ride, anything more than an 8% carb concentration in a drink upsets my stomach. i found that a dilute cytomax mix or a dilute maltodextrin/powdered gatorade mix does the job for me. a gu pack washed down with water 15 minutes before a ride and those clif gel blocks during the ride work well, too.


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## Cory (Jan 29, 2004)

*Peanut butter on whole wheat w/a banana?*

I'll carry energy bars on a very long ride in case of a bonk emergency, but for anything less than four hours or so, I just eat normal food and drink plain water, maybe with an occasional swig of a 50-percent diluted drink along the way. Not very high-tech, but it goes down easy and stays down. I've had trouble for years with "energy" bars and drinks upsetting my stomach.
If there are convenience stores along the way, check the low-fat chocolate milk in pint or 12-ounce containers. I don't drink it because I don't like the taste, but I read a story a year or so ago analyzing it compared to commercial energy drinks, and it's a pretty good choice.


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## bikeboy389 (May 4, 2004)

Fig bars, one every half hour or so. I usually will eat two at about the 1.5 hour mark. I learned to put a little salt in the bag with them from Kerry Irons, so I don't necessarily have to carry an electrolyte drink for a normal ride.

The fig bars are really easy to eat and digest, and give you a good mix of carbs with very little protein (which is probably what bothers you about Clif bars--protein can give some people real trouble during exercise). And they're dead cheap and available everywhere.


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## ARP (Mar 7, 2002)

*Don't know if it qualifies as energy bars*

I tried a new one this weekend; a Reeses product, granola with peanuts in a bar. I liked it. I think I am going to simplfy things this year and carry Raspbessy fig bars. Also like the Propel sports water, it has been around for a few years I like it better than gatorade.

Could not believe what i saw in a store this weekend...coke with vitamins and minerals.


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## JayTee (Feb 3, 2004)

Just passing along second hand info, but my sister who is a marathoner and has GI trouble with a number of different energy bars swears that Luna bars are the easiest on the system.

... and the Lemon ones are soooo tasty.


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## Alter Ego (Sep 10, 2005)

Eating my wheaties before the ride, plenty of Gatorade and a banana plus raisins usually would keep me going for superfast 50 mile ride on sundays. I love the idea of energy bars, but they are a bit expensive on my opinion. I don't think they would give anything extra or differently that a banana and a box of raisins would.


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## Nic840 (Nov 12, 2006)

*I agree*

Yeah Cliff bars are a little harsh on my stomach as well. A friend of mine turned me on to a bar made by Cliff called Nectar Bar. It is a dried fruit and nut bar...no grains or anything too harsh to digest. They come in about 4-5 different combos, my fave is the apricot/cranberry/almond. There is also a pomegranite one and a few others. If I am going to ride 40 miles or so I will usually have one at mile 20 or so and I am good to go. They are great! No burpies, wash down with water well. I also mix some powdered propel in with one of my bottles, not the whole pkg of powder but about 1/2 just for a little boost and this will pull me through just fine. I think it just takes some testing to find the right combo for you. Good luck!


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## msohio (Feb 23, 2004)

*First Endurance Bars*

These are the best I've ever used. Taste good and digest very easily.


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## Oldteen (Sep 7, 2005)

Specific food before/during long rides is a personal thing. Remember that different flavors of the same product often have some different ingredients which may cause trouble. 
I'm using Cliff bars in carrot cake flavor during rides. Sits well on my stomach and holds up to heat without melting. Some other Cliff flavors taste better but don't agree with me during the ride.
I also find that diluting sports drink (1:1 or 1:2) is better on my stomach. Propel is dilute electrolytes with minimal (or no) carbs (sugars), but I do not care for it. I put sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade, etc.) in one bottle and plain H2O in the other.


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## rochrunner (Jul 11, 2006)

I've always had good luck with the original-style Powerbars. Clif Bars also seem to give me intestinal problems. I should mention that this is only related to running, as I don't cycle hard or long enough (yet) to have these issues, but anyway that's my experience.


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## brianmcg (Oct 12, 2002)

Another vote for fig newtons. You can get the generic brands for about $3.00 for a box of 200. Best deal ever. They taste better than most "energy" bars too.


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## shongalola (Nov 2, 2005)

have you tried cutting out the power bar and just take in carbs rather than protein and fat. For a 40mile ride you should be good with cliff bloks or Gu type sustenance. I find that cliff blocks especially, are easy on the gut. Also, I always have one bottle with sports drink (usually Cytomax, though that does seem harsh on some people's stomachs) and one bottle of water. Use the water when you take the blocks/ shots so that you dont shock load your system as much.

For long endurance rides, its PBJ after hour 2 since you have more chance to digest.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Priceerformance ratio*



shongalola said:


> For a 40mile ride you should be good with cliff bloks or Gu type sustenance.


Last time I priced Cliff Blocks, they were 5X the price per calorie of a Fig Newton. I'm sure they're worth it given all the specific benefits they offer


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## jimmyhat1978 (Jun 21, 2006)

Third for fig newtons, they work and are easy to digest. i have not found anything that works better. Oh yea and are cheap! cycling is expensive enough without spending 5 bucks a ride on bars and drinks.


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## holland_patrick (Mar 28, 2007)

I found these powerbar nut natural bars.. they are full of nuts and puffed rice.. man do they kick ass.. if you put on in front of you with out the wraper you would never guess


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