It is essential to consume carbohydrates during longer and/or more intensive exercise. From the weekly Sunday morning ride to a challenging tour, and from a game of football to a marathon: carbohydrates are the body's favourite fuel during exercise. But what is the best way to get these carbohydrates? Is it best to choose a sports drink, an energy bar or a gel? Or is an old-fashioned banana or currant bun enough? Many athletes swear by specific products. But what does science say about this? You can read about it in this blog.
In summary:
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Various studies have shown that energy gels, energy bars and sports drinks are equally fast and efficient in providing the muscles with carbohydrates. Therefore, everyone can choose/combine products according to their own preferences and practical convenience.
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Only when choosing bars with relatively high levels of protein, fat and/or fibre can this lead to a slightly slower supply of fuel to the muscles (and a fuller feeling in the stomach). In certain situations this may be desirable, but in other situations it can lead to stomach or intestinal complaints.
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Don't forget to include the right amount of fluids and electrolytes (particularly sodium) in your nutrition plan, in addition to the right amount of carbohydrates.
Efficiency of carbohydrate burning
Various scientific studies have investigated this question in the past. The most important question that needed answering during these studies was how well and how quickly the carbohydrates from the various products can be used as fuel in the muscles. By measuring the ‘carbohydrate combustion’ of an energy bar, energy gel and energy drink, we can determine whether more or fewer carbohydrates are used as fuel in any of these products, and whether this happens just as efficiently.
Energy sources for athletes
Various scientific studies show that there is no substantial physiological difference between an energy bar, gel or drink, regardless of carbohydrate intake. In other words, all products are equally efficient in delivering fuel to the muscles. It should be noted that the energy bars in these studies were easily digestible and contained little fibre, fat and protein (such as the Amacx Energy Fruit Chew or Amacx Turbo Chew). This ensures that the passage through the stomach and final absorption in the intestine is almost as fast as with an energy gel or drink. This means that for an athlete it makes no difference whether he/she chooses an energy drink, gel or (easily digestible) bar during training or a competition. Therefore, choose based on personal preference and practical convenience during exercise. Just make sure you choose products with an optimised carbohydrate ratio if you are aiming for intakes above 60 grams per hour (glucose:fructose = 2:1 for intakes up to +- 90 grams per hour and glucose:fructose = 1:0.8 up to +- 120 grams per hour).
Impact of Proteins, Fats and Fibre on Stomach Passage and Performance
If you choose a bar with more proteins, fats and/or fibre (such as the Amacx Energy Oat Bar), the passage through the stomach will be slightly slower, and the fuel will therefore be available in the muscles later. This often translates into a ‘fuller’ feeling in the stomach. This may be desirable during a quiet endurance training session or quieter moments in a long race. However, during intensive exercise, bars with a higher fibre, fat and/or protein content can also cause stomach or intestinal problems. If you experience this, try replacing your bar with an energy gel or drink.
Optimal Performance
Finally, don't forget that in addition to carbohydrates, the correct intake of fluids and electrolytes (especially sodium) are important for optimal performance. Amacx products all contain similar amounts of carbohydrates and a substantial amount of sodium. However, while a bottle of Amacx Energy Drink also provides 500 ml of fluid, a bar or gel does not. Therefore, if you get most of your carbohydrates from bars and/or gels, don't forget to drink enough fluids as well. You can read more about this in future blogs.
Sources:
1. Pfeiffer et al MSSE Med Sci Sports Exerc. 42(11):2030-7, 2010 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20404762/)
2. Pfeiffer et al MSSE Med Sci Sports Exerc. 42(11):2038-45, 2010 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20404763/)
3. Hearris et al J Appl Physiol. 132(6):1394-1406, 2022 (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35446596/)
